


Altissian Princess Scientia

by AzuraLoire



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Arranged Marriage, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hate to Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love/Hate, Oral Sex, Reader is Princess of Altissia, Reader is a bit of a brat, Slight verge from events of game and movie, Slow Burn, Smut, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:22:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 101,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24813760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzuraLoire/pseuds/AzuraLoire
Summary: Lucis, Niflheim, and Accordo are the three ruling nations of Eos. The reader is the Princess of Altissia and heir to the Accordo throne. The world's kingdoms are not at rest and to form bonds and better relationships amongst nations, Noctis is to be wed to Lunafreya of Tennebrae. But who is Accordo's Princess to wed? King Regis offers his son's royal advisor and her family accepts. While the world may be on board with this plan, she is not. Ignis grows fond of her and does all he can to appease and honor her as his wife. But is it enough for her? Will she ever come to terms with the marriage and love him as her husband?This story begins before the events of the movie and game and follows the events of both, although there are slight variations and changes I have made. Not enough for me to call it AU though.
Relationships: Ignis Scientia & Reader, Ignis Scientia/Reader
Comments: 67
Kudos: 124





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> While on vacation recently, I began writing a bunch of stories I have always had planned out but never started. This is one that I have had in the back of my mind for years. I don't know why, but I adore the idea of Ignis being offered this beautiful princess' hand in marriage and doting on her and loving her and she just turns her nose up to him. (poor Iggy, I know!) I just always see him as the type going above and beyond for people and they give him very little in return. The whole story won't be an angst fest (although my readers know I looovvveeee angst) Iggy will have good moments too.  
> As I mentioned, this will follow the events of the game, but with slight variations and changes of course.

King Regis sat at his throne, tapping his fingers on the elaborate arm rests. His son was known for being late, a habit Regis would soon have to break him of. With his new responsibilities just on the horizon, there would need to be a lot of changes in the young man’s life.

Regis has always raised his son to be a free spirit. He wanted him to have a childhood and enjoy growing up. He knew the responsibilities that would weigh on his shoulders in adulthood and wanted him to be as carefree as he could be for as long as possible. He may be regretting some of that now. How would his son handle adult life when he never knew responsibility? He raised him with a retainer and shield to help share that burden and keep him in line…but that plan of his may be backfiring.

The kingdoms were the least at rest they’ve been in centuries. Tensions were high all over the globe. If Insomnia were to keep its reign at the peak of the national hierarchy, tough decisions were going to have to be made. A blending of multiple families was going to have to happen. He was calling his son to his chambers to discuss one of those changes that had been finalized just this morning.

“Should I attempt to phone him again?” Clarus asked from his position to the left of Regis’ throne.

“No…he’ll be here,” Regis sighed.

Regis chose to break the news to his son in the privacy of his throne room. He didn’t want the boy to make a spectacle in front of the elders of the kingdom. He knew his son would not be happy with the choice made. He only hoped the other particular individual involved in these plans would make things more bearable on his son, beings though they have known each other since they were children.

Suddenly the double doors to the room opened, and the broody teenager entered, followed by a tall slim man right behind him. Regis straightened up in his seat. He knew he had to keep a level of authority to his voice so his son knew there was no arguing with the matter at hand. However, he knew an argument was about to break out regardless. He only hoped Ignis’ presence would help the situation from escalating.

“Son! Thank you for coming!” Regis greeted.

“Yea, right before lunch. I’m starving. What’s up? You couldn’t just tell me over the phone?” Noctis responded.

“Your majesty,” Ignis bowed. “Apologies for our tardiness.”

“No need Ignis. I’m certain it wasn’t your fault,” Regis responded, giving his son a pointed look.

“Yeah yeah,” Noctis sighed.

“Son…I called you here because a very important decision about not only your future, but the future of Insomnia itself, was decided this morning.”

“Awesome, just what I wanted. More people making decisions for me.”

“Noctis…you know that as future king of Insomnia, your decisions will never be your own. Perhaps it is my fault for raising you to never have to take others into consideration when making choices. But you are of age now and things will be changing. Rapidly. The world is not at rest. There is more going on than people are aware of, and you need to be aware of these conflicts. You will be serving by my side in the coming year to prepare yourself to take my place.”

“I don’t wanna think about you dying-“

“It is unavoidable!” Regis raised his voice, interrupting his son. “We all perish and never know the day our time will end. If I were to drop dead this instant, you would be clueless as to how to run this country! I will no longer hide you in the shadows of our people. Your face will be shown beside mine and you will take your rightful place beside me.”

Noctis stood silent a moment, digesting what his father said to him. Secretly, he knew this day would come but always tried to avoid it. He didn’t want to think of his father dying. Losing his mother was tough enough. He also didn’t want to think about running the country. He never asked for that kind of responsibility. Just his fate that he would be born into it. Why him? He wasn’t fit for crap like that.

“Fine. Thanks for the memo. Anything else?” Noct asked.

“Yes, actually. I haven’t even told you the decision that was made this morning, not only amongst the elders of Insomnia, but also across the kingdoms. You are to be wed-“

“What? When?”

“This summer-“

“That’s like, a month away! You really think you can pull of a royal wedding in that short amount of time?”

“With the people I have at our disposal, yes. Do not question what the King of Insomnia is capable of. However, the wedding will be mid-summer. So you technically have two months’ time to prepare.”

“Oh, well that’s fine then!” Noctis grumbled sarcastically. “And what the hell? You just get to randomly decide that I’m getting married?”

“It is for the greater good of the kingdom and the world, Noctis! You have a duty-“

“Yea yea, my royal duty. As if I ever asked for something like that. Don’t trust me to go out and find a girl in my own time? Will any decision ever be my own to make?”

“Unfortunately, in your position, the vast majority of your decisions must be made with your people in mind. I have let you live a life all your own up until now. You should be thankful.”

“Gee, thanks, dad! So who is she?? I suppose I have no choice in that either?!”

“No…you do not. It is not my wish to control you or your life. I understand love is something that runs deep and is to be cherished. Which is why I took careful consideration in making this choice and believe your bride to be is someone you could hopefully find a soul mate in.”

“Who is it dad?” Noct asked impatiently.

“Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae.”

“Wha-…Luna?” Noctis gasped. He wasn’t expecting that answer. He had known Luna since they were young children and always liked her. She was definitely beautiful. And really nice. And kind. And loving. And sweet. Okay okay, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Noctis looked over his shoulder at Ignis who had remained silent this whole time. Ignis gave him a small smile, knowing how much Noct admired Luna.

“Son?” Regis addressed Noctis, waiting for the possible argument to continue.

“Okay,” Noct responded.

“Okay?” Regis repeated.

“Yeah…sure. Okay. Could be worse I guess. Anything else?”

“No…that is all for now. Thank you Noctis. I will relay your new schedule to Ignis over the next week.”

“Yeah…whatever,” Noct said, turning and walking back out the double doors.

“Thank you for your time, your Majesty,” Ignis bowed before following his friend.

“Well…that went better than expected,” Clarus commented when they were both gone.

“So far,” Regis responded. “I only hope he continues to be okay with everything. My greatest hope is that he takes his duties as future king seriously. And that he is a suitable husband for Lunafreya. As an oracle, she hasn’t lived a simple life. I don’t wish to put further burden on her by subjecting her to a lazy slob of a husband.”

“I’m sure Ignis will whip him into shape. I know Gladio will if I tell him. He has no problem giving that son of yours shit,” Clarus chuckled.

“No, that he doesn’t. Ignis however lets him get away with entirely too much. He doesn’t think I know, but he doesn’t often correct Noct, he just does it for him.”

“So tell him not to. Give Ignis other work to do and make Noct take care of himself for a week and see what it’s like.”

“Baptism by fire, eh?” he snickered.

“You know me. I’m not the gentle, ease into it type.”

“That you aren’t.” Regis sat a moment longer in silence before sighing. “There is still the other matter to discuss. This wedding will help matters…but it’s only a small part of the puzzle. Marrying into the Tenebrae royal family won’t be enough. They don’t hold enough weight for this to be any sort of major development.”

“It’s a direct link to Niflheim. That’s our biggest issue right now. And she’s the sister of Ravus, who is making his own name in the Niflheim royal ranks. It’s our best bet, seeing that there’s no prince or princess heir to Niflheim at the moment.”

“Yes, but we’ve always had the link to them. As soon as the Fleurets take power, which we are all certain they will, we had an in. We’ve been mutual for years. We didn’t need the marriage with Luna, but it helps. What we need, is a connection with Accrodo. They are the least at ease right now.”

“So why even marry Noct to Luna? Why not ask for the Princess of Altissia’s hand in marriage?”

“Noct never would have gone for it. He would have fought it tooth and nail. And it would have hurt him to see Luna married to someone else. He may not admit his own feelings…but I can see them. They’ve been there for years.”

“So how do you suggest we proceed?” Clarus asked.

“They will be offended we chose Luna for Noct instead of their own princess. We must not offend them. I suggest we still offer them a royal marriage.”

“How so?”

“Well, we have a few people we could offer her. Higher ups in our military ranks, Noct’s right hand men…” he faded off, looking to Clarus to gauge his reaction.

“So basically Cor, Titus, or Gladio.”

“I would never force you to marry your son off-“

“He will do what is best for his kingdom and his king. He was raised that way and will continue to live that way,” Clarus declared with a voice of finality.

“I know how much your own wife means to you, Clarus. And your family. It is not an easy choice to simply marry for the good of the people. Even I know that. I married my own childhood friend. That is why I chose Luna for Noctis. I don’t want to make a bad choice for Gladio simply because he is not my son. I care for him as much as you, Clarus.”

“I know, and I appreciate that,” Clarus smiled at his king and friend. “But Gladio is a ladies man and will jump at any chance with any woman. We both know that,” he laughed out loud.

“Yes…that is true,” Regis laughed with him. “Truthfully, I don’t think Cor or Titus is a good fit. Both are too old to marry a young woman not even in her twenties yet. And they are both too dedicated to their professions. Dangerous professions at that.”

“Yes, I have to say I agree. Honestly, I can’t picture Cor with anyone. Has he ever had a girlfriend?”

“I don’t recall one, no,” Regis joked.

“It’s no secret Titus sleeps around, but can you picture Cor coming home to a wife nagging him about the late hour and his dirty shoes on the carpet?” Clarus laughed with Regis again.

The two chuckled together at the absurd idea of Cor married. They both knew him since he was a young boy and he was always too serious and stoic and…honestly too grumpy to be soft and kind with anyone.

“There is however…another choice,” Regis began.

“Who?”

“Ignis.”

“Would that…work? I mean, he’s not technically royalty.”

“No…he’s not. But he is close enough to Noct to be considered. His family has worked in the Citadel. And he, himself, is from Altissia. Well, his family is. He was born in Insomnia, however, and is therefore a citizen of Lucis. It could work.”

“Would he be sent off to Altissia though?”

“No. The Princess’ brother will take the throne.”

“He’s younger than she is, though. Would that not rob her?”

“It may…but to have a king rule is their true wish. They feel the queens of the past were weak and brought them down. Never grew them to what they wish to be. This will give them the chance to move him up to the throne. Then there will be a king in all three kingdoms.”

“So the princess…”

“Will move here. Essentially her title will be null and void. She will be a royal advisor on the board, but still serve under her brother as well as me. And we all know Lucis has more pull than Accordo. They will never overpower us, be it in strength or mere spoken word at a table. It could work Clarus…it’s what we need.”

“Do you need his parent’s approval?”

“No. He is old enough to choose for himself. However, he is under my order and I will choose for him,” Regis declared with an aura of authority. He then signed and his shoulders slumped a bit. “I just hate making life choices for someone like Ignis. He’s like a son to me. I know he would follow my every word even if I told him to walk straight into the lake and drown himself, no hesitation, but…I still wish for his happiness.”

“Will he ever have the time or energy to find it for himself though, working for your son the way he will be?”

“You’re right, Clarus. He won’t. He’s remained alone, forever dedicating himself to Noctis and never to himself. So…this is a good decision for him right? We’re doing him…a favor? Gosh, I hate wording it like that.” Regis grimaced.

“Yes, I understand. But, I agree. It would be good for Ignis to get him some,” Clarus and Regis shared a look before breaking out in laughter.

“You’re not right in the head Clarus,” Regis shook his head as his laughter died down.

“I’d say we find Cor some ass first. He’s the one running out of time,” he continued laughing. “But robbing the cradle is a bit much. I think he’s a lost cause at this point. Let’s not let Ignis get that far.”

The two continued to joke, making light of the heavy decisions that weighed upon them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a couple chapters already written and edited for this story, so updates will probably be weekly to start off with. And I have the vast majority of the story all plotted out so updates shouldn't be far between after that. If I find there's no following or people don't like the story, I will see whether I continue or not. So be sure and let me know if you want to keep reading. Check back weekly or hit the follow button to get updates. And don't run off yet lol it will get better I promise. And I'm a sucker for smut, so there will be that in the future.  
> Let me know what you think. I love comments and kudos and all forms of love and constructive criticism. If you find major errors in the story, please let me know and I will fix them immediately!  
> Thank you!!!


	2. Chapter 1

“Wow…marriage huh?” Prompto sighed, falling back on Noct’s bed. “Goodbye arcade trips!”

“Tell me about it!” Noct agreed, putting some clothes hazardly in a box.

It had been a little over a week since King Regis broke the news to his son. By now, he had broken the news to the elders and royal council. Everything was set in motion now and he would be wed in a few weeks’ time.

“Your life isn’t over, Noctis,” Ignis piped in. He was neatly folding the clothes from Noct’s closet and expertly arranging them in a box of his own. “You simply have more responsibilities. Something you have had none of up to this point.”

“I’ve gone to meetings and crap!” Noct argued.

“Yeah, but now you have to like…go to them all the time!” Prompto piped in. “And you’re losing your apartment! It sucks you have to move back to the Citadel.”

“It’s the worst! The whole reason I moved out was so that I could have my own life and not be under a damn microscope there!”

“Maybe that microscope will keep you better in line,” Ignis’ muffled voice sounded from inside the closet.

“At least you get a hot chick out of the deal,” Gladio said, entering the room after hauling another box downstairs.

“Don’t call her that!” Noct spat.

“What? She is,” he snickered.

“I think Noct prefers you used a word like…pretty!” Prompto said.

“I prefer no one talk about MY future wife, thank you! Find your own, Gladio!”

“Oh I don’t have any trouble doing that!” Gladio laughed.

“It is always nice to have someone compliment your significant other, Noctis. However, Gladio, using such lewd language is not appropriate and actually demeaning to some ladies,” Ignis said, taping his box closed and handing it to the muscular man and walking out of the room to get a drink.

“Whatever. At least I can find my own women and don’t need daddy picking them out for me.”

“Hey!” Noct yelled. “At least I have a girl! And I’ve known Luna since we were kids, it’s not like she’s a stranger! Some of us have only kissed girls in a dare!”

“Hey!” Prompto pouted. “That still counts! I’m just too shy to ask a girl out. Iggy hasn’t even kissed a girl!”

“I don’t think Igs has even talked to a girl,” Gladio laughed.

“I can’t even picture him with one! You think he’s gay?” Noctis added.

“Who knows. Maybe he’s asexual and never will have a girl or a guy,” Gladio shrugged.

“They still have girlfriends and stuff I think. They just don’t have sex with them or something,” Prompto corrected.

“I don’t know the specifics. Hell I don’t even know what he is,” Gladio shrugged.

“Uhh…” Prompto whispered.

Noct and Gladio looked over at him and saw the big eyed look on his face. They followed his line of sight to the doorway where Ignis was now standing, playing with the condensation on his water bottle.

“We were just…joking Specs,” Noct said, looking down ashamed at hurting his friend’s feelings.

“We didn’t mean anything bad by it,” Prompto added in a quiet voice.

“You know us, Iggy. Just picking on each other. We don’t think any less of you,” Gladio piped in.

“No worries,” Ignis assured his friends, setting his water bottle down on the top of the dresser and grabbing another box off of the floor to start filling. “Finding a girlfriend isn’t high on my priority list. My schedule is quite full the way it is. And for future reference, I am into women.”

The three other boys just looked at each other, all feeling bad for picking on their friend while he was out of the room. Especially since he seemed to have overheard their conversation about him.

* * *

“You have got to be joking! Mother!! Do something about this!” a young girl screamed in the large elaborately decorated dining hall.

“Now, now, Y/N. Please stop shouting. This decision was made between the both of us-“

“The both of you?? How could you, mother? As a woman yourself, you are telling me this is right? This decision can be justified?”

“It is for the good of the kingdom! For the good of the world, Y/N!” her father insisted.

“Generations of Queens have ruled Accordo! How can you, mother, see anything good coming of this? For years we have been ridiculed for our positions, and you are giving into the hate and prejudice? You agree with them? That a man should be made to rule now?”

“You said it yourself, dear. We have been ridiculed for years, by our own people even. Maybe now is the time to put a man on the throne. He is still of our family name and blood line-“

“But MY birthright! You are robbing me of something that was mine upon birth! The gods chose me to be born first, therefore, making me heir to the throne! How could you go against the wishes of the gods?” Y/N continued to scream.

“Please, you are being a bit dramatic now, don’t you think?” her mother scolded lightly.

“I think not! We have always been a nation of strong, independent women. Making our own choices, for both ourselves and our country. We pride ourselves on our wisdom and strength. And you dare to lower me to the same level of those other princesses. Bound to men, made to serve under them. Their husbands chosen for them as if they aren’t even capable of making a single decision on their own, even one of love. To be breeding cows for their nation. Silenced by their husband’s hands around their throat. I will not be made to be a lesser form of what I have worked so hard over the years to build myself up to!”

“Well…it’s too bad the decision is not yours to make,” he father snapped. He normally was quiet and soft spoken, but was getting a little tired of his daughter’s attitude.

“Mother!”

“He is right, Y/N. I am sorry, but times have changed. The world is changing. Tough decisions need to be made. You are not aware of what is currently going on secretly between nations. This is the best decision. For everyone. Your husband is of Altissian blood. You will be happy to know that.”

“I thought you said he was from Lucis,” she asked, confused.

“He is a Lucian citizen, but comes from an Altissian bloodline. His family holds high court positions at the Citadel-“

“Wait! He’s not even royal blood? He’s some commoner who works in an office at the Citadel?”

“No, not just some commoner. He is of the Scientia bloodline, which can be found in the record books of our own royal retainers. He is the right hand man of Prince Noctis, raised directly by his side to lead and direct him. He is very smart and educated. Far more than the prince himself,” her mother rolled her eyes.

“I still can’t believe this! What about Ravus? Even he holds higher standing than this, this…Scientia you speak of.”

“Yes, well…he is a tough one to nail down. Plus, I do not believe it wise to marry you to a man of Niflheim blood. Their nation is not at rest right now.”

“But the Prince of Lucis is marrying his sister?” Y/N asked sarcastically.

“She is an oracle, not a princess. Ravus, himself, is not as high standing as he sees himself to be.”

“Why don’t I get Prince Noctis?”

“Trust me,” her mother sneered. “you don’t want that sorry excuse for a boy.”

“I would at least still hold a title! What do I get now? Nothing!”

“King Regis made it clear that Prince Noctis is to be wed to Lunafreya. He left no room for argument and the rest of the council agreed and went along with it. I am sorry dear. We got you the best we could-“

“No you didn’t! Hell, letting me chose a man off the streets would have been better than stripping me of my title all together and giving me a room at the Citadel! I had a damn throne in my hands! I have nothing now! I will never forgive you for this! Either one of you! Nor this damn country! Fuck Accrodo! You can all burn and rot for all I care!!” Y/N screamed before storming out of the room.

“Well…that actually went better than I thought,” her father commented. The queen glanced over at her husband, an eyebrow raised. “Nothing is broken! She usually throws stuff.” A sudden smash was heard from upstairs. “I spoke too soon I see,” he signed.

* * *

“Your majesty, you wished to see me?” Ignis bowed, entering a room occupied by the King. He noticed Clarus wasn’t by his side, which was quite unusual. This was also a rather random room. Nothing special happened here. He wasn’t even sure what its purpose was. It was quite empty. Regis was looking out one of the tall floor to ceiling windows.

Ignis was a little nervous on his way here. He figured the King had wished to discuss Noct’s schedule and see how things were coming along. He was asked to not assist him as closely as he had in the past. He was to have Noctis start making more decisions on his own, a sort of test to see how he handled himself. It was proving challenging thus far. Both for Noct and Ignis. He was so used to helping his Prince and his friend. It was hard holding himself back.

King Regis asked that he come alone, however. Maybe he just wanted to get his personal opinion without Noct there to get upset over his opinions and observations.

“Ignis, my boy! How are you?” King Regis greeted him.

“I am well, thank you for asking. How are you doing?” Ignis couldn’t help but look down at the brace on his King’s leg and the cane in his hand.

“I am doing just fine, Ignis. No need to worry yourself over me,” he smiled.

“That is good to hear. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“Ignis…I’m going to ask you to drop the formalities a moment. I need you to be very open and very honest with me. And do not be afraid of hurting my feelings. And don’t feel you are going against my wishes. I simply wish for your honest opinion.”

Ignis wasn’t sure how to respond right away. Perhaps this really was about Noct. He wanted to make sure he was handling everything okay. Both his new duties, and his upcoming wedding.

“I assure you, I can answer any question about your son with the purest of honesty,” Ignis assured him.

“It is not my son I wish to talk about. It is you,” Regis told him, looking directly in his eyes.

“Oh…” Ignis stuttered a moment. “As you wish, your Majesty.”

Ignis’ stomach dropped a moment. Was he not performing as he should? Was he holding back to much lately? Or perhaps he wasn’t holding back enough in letting Noct make his own decisions. He wasn’t perfuming to the king’s standards.

“Don’t get nervous my boy,” Regis comforted him, his eyes softening. “Nothing I wish to discuss is bad. You aren’t in any sort of trouble.”

“Okay,” Ignis quietly responded.

“Tell me Ignis…has any one ever caught your fancy? Any woman ever caught your eye?”

Ignis’ eyes widened before he schooled his face again. This was…an unexpected question.

“Um…well…” Ignis struggled to answer.

“Or man. I’m not here to judge, Ignis. You can speak freely here. It is a safe space.”

It was almost insulting that everyone just assumed his sexuality because he hadn’t yet had a girlfriend. Everyone always assumed that about someone when they hadn’t been seen with someone of the opposite sex.

“No. No woman in particular has caught my eye. Or man. While I have seen plenty of pretty and even some beautiful women, I never let my mind dwell on it long enough to form some sort of…crush. I thought it would only distract me.”

“I figured as much,” King Regis chuckled lightly. “Are you opposed to ever finding a woman to settle down with?”

“No, I am not against the idea. I just…don’t know when it would be quite possible.”

“The reason I ask…is because Noct is to be married soon. While he will still need you at his side, you will not be playing as large of a role as you do now. Luna will be there to cook for and clean for him. Not to sound sexist of course, but she will have her duties to her husband.”

“Of course,” Ignis agreed. Women weren’t bound to their men or certain roles within the house, however, women of royalty did have certain roles they had to play.

“While I do not wish to take away any of your choices in life, especially those involving the heart, I wanted to offer you the Princess of Accrodo’s hand in marriage.”

Ignis’ eyes, widened again. A princess’ hand? Offered to him?? Whatever made the king think he was worthy of such a thing?

“Important decisions are being made in the world, as you are aware. Kingdoms are merging, bonds and permanent pacts are being made between families. I have assured Luna’s hand for Noct. Not just for our relationship with Tenebrae and Niflheim, but because I know of how close Luna and Noctis are. The closer their relationship, the better they will work together. We really need a bond with Accordo, however. It would be wisest to marry Noct to Princess Y/N, but as I mentioned…I couldn’t do that to him. It would break his heart to see Luna with another man. I wanted to offer her hand to you, however. You are the next best in line.”

“I…I, uh…” Ignis wasn’t sure what to say. He was at a complete loss of words. “I don’t think I’m-“

“If you don’t think you are worthy, I ask you erase that thought from your mind. You are more than worthy, Ignis. You are educated, wise, properly trained in both combat and tactics. You are the makings of a perfect husband and great partner, as well as a prestigious member of the Royal Council of Lucis.”

“How would…what would she…”

“I know you probably have a lot of questions. I can answer a few of them briefly for you now. She will no longer be a princess, technically. She will have dual citizenship between both nations, with Lucis being her reigning citizenship. She will still be held to high royal standards and required to follow Royal Law. Her brother will become heir to the throne and future king of Accordo. She will still use the prefix Princess, however it won’t hold the pull it once did and not as much here. That’s not to say she doesn’t have any significance or is some lesser form of royalty I’m tossing down to you.”

“Of course not!” Ignis agreed.

“This is going to pave a new path for Altissia and Accordo. It’s been generations since a male has taken the throne. History is being made with this decision. And I must warn you, it is a new path she will not be pleased with. No woman wants to be told she will not be queen. It may be a tumultuous relationship at first. You will have to put some work into it to sway her our way. She will be against every decision we make, I’m sure of it. But it will be up to you to help her grow to love Lucis and its people.”

Ignis stood silently, picking at his fingers. He wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. It was all a huge shock to him. Was he really as worthy as Regis said he was? Or did they not think him capable of ever finding someone himself? Did they think he was too dedicated to Noctis to dedicate himself to a wife? Was he too inexperienced at his age to find someone to court?

“Please, share what is on your mind Ignis. I told you, do not fear angering or displeasing me with whatever it is you are feeling.” Regis assured him.

“Are you…is this being decided because you pity me?” Ignis whispered out.

“Absolutely not!” Regis was shocked. “Ignis, I see you as my own son. I care very deeply for you. And as I mentioned earlier, you hold very high rankings within these walls. Our list of suitors was made of merely four people, two of which are too old and past their prime to properly marry and care for a woman of her age. That leaves you and one other. And if you do not wish to accept, I will honor your wishes and marry her to the other-“

“Gladio…” Ignis interrupted. He would never dream of interrupting his King while he was speaking, but the name just spilled out of his mouth.

“Yes. Gladio is the other we have considered. But upon careful deliberation and looking at it from many angles…we feel you are best fit for the honor.”

“Do you simply wish for me to marry her as a technicality? To teach her of our nation and advise her, as I do Noctis?”

“No. While that is an added bonus, of course, and we feel you would be best fit for that role…it is a role you would play regardless if you married her or not. Even if she were wed to Gladio, you would still advise her and teach her what she would be required to know. So no, your role is not to simply guide her, but to love and cherish her as your own. The same goes for Gladio. Whether he is wed to her or not, he will be tasked with helping her train and learn the basics of combat to properly defend herself.”

Ignis stood there silently another minute. He always wondered what it would be like to be with someone. To find that person to cherish and love and dedicate your soul to. He always imagined it a completely different way than this, of course. But when he really thought about it…when would he truly be able to have the freedom to go out and find himself someone? Who would ever accept him for all he was and all he had to do? And when would he ever be able to wed someone as prestigious as a princess? Under any other circumstances, that would be treason! And she was from his own family’s land. His ancestor’s bloodline. It was almost too good to true if he really thought about everything he could want in a woman.

“I will do as you wish, my King. It is in my bones and blood to serve you however you see fit.” Ignis bowed.

“But, is it as you see fit, Ignis? That is what I am asking here. Not everyone gets this choice. I am offering it to you, though.”

“I would be honored,” Ignis replied. “To marry a princess of any nation is a very high honor. One I will not take lightly.”

“I am glad you accept, my boy,” Regis smiled. “Thank you for being so open with me. If at any time you have more questions or even want some advice, you need only seek me out,” he winked.

“I appreciate the offer,” Ignis smiled back.

Wow…how was he going to tell Noctis this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you soooooo much for all the feedback! I didn't expect that big of a response and I'm glad people are looking forward to this! I have a good handful of chapters written so far and honestly, i have a lot of fun writing them. Having this story in my head for so long makes them come so easily to me. The chapters are a bit shorter than my usual chapter length for fics, but its keeping me writing at a more steady pace. I still plan on updating every weekend (until something happens that puts me behind on chapters lol but im trying to avoid that) 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and any form of love warms my heart and encourages me more than you know. Thank you again!


	3. Chapter 2

“Urghhh this is so boring!” Noctis complained, flopping down onto his couch.

“You’ve barely even done anything! You still have boxes all over the room! Me and Iggy have been doing all the work,” Gladio scolded his younger friend.

“I’m no good at putting stuff away. I don’t know the best place for it. Specs does. And you have the biggest muscles, so you do the heavy lifting,” Noctis retorted.

“Yeah, and you are a royal spoiled brat, so you sit on the couch whining and complaining until all the work is done. Am I right?” Gladio asked.

“Prompto isn’t doing anything either!”

“Hey!” the small blonde spoke up. “I brought some of the smaller boxes up! And I’ve been putting your TV and video game set-up together. I’m doing something!”

“If you’re too weak to haul boxes around, why don’t you go help Iggy put some of your shit away? At least put your own damn underwear in the drawer.”

“I just finished unpacking Noct’s clothing. I was going to move on to the kitchen if you don’t mind,” Ignis spoke up, coming out of the small bedroom at the end of a short hallway.

Noctis didn’t want his old room back at the Citadel. He complained that he wanted one of the suites. Those were reserved for some of the staff members, usually. There weren’t many to go around. Regis tried arguing that his meals should be eaten in the grand hall with him when he wed and he had no time for things like video games or watching TV so he didn’t need a living space. Ignis, however, agreed to let him have his small suite in exchange for the apartment he was moving out of.

This was all before he got the news he would be getting married as well. And to a princess, no less. She, surely, would prefer to stay at the Citadel and not some common apartment. Or maybe she would like living a somewhat normal life away from royal happenings going on. He really had no idea what she was like at all. He attempted an internet search on her but only found a few pictures of her in her youth. The most recent picture was from her sixteenth birthday. She looked very lovely. She spent the vast majority of her time in the castle in Altissia and was only photographed with large, lace hats coving her face from the lens’ view. She couldn’t look too much different at nineteen, surely. He spent a lot of time looking at the picture of her when she turned sixteen. The more he looked at it, the more excited he got. And the more beautiful she seemed to look to him. He had yet to break the news to anyone though. Not even his own parents. He only felt it was right that he tell his prince and best friend first.

He had been quiet most of the night. He was in the bedroom alone putting things in their place and folding clothes. He was trying to find the best way to tell Noctis. If it were any other time, it wouldn’t be so bad. But he feared Noct would think he was taking away some of this thunder or something. Or maybe he would be upset about Y/N being a princess. He may wonder how Ignis was offered the hand of a princess when he wasn’t even of royal blood. He was also given the choice. Noctis was not. Every time he thought he prepared himself to start the conversation, he would chicken out and not say anything. Prompto even asked if he was alright at one point because he seemed “less bossy” than usual and wasn’t saying anything. Maybe now was his moment. Gladio and Prompto would be going home soon, even with all the boxes that were left full. It wasn’t their job to unpack them and it was getting late.

“Um…Noct…” Ignis started, stopping to clear his throat that seemed to clog since he let his mind run.

“Yeah, yeah Iggy. I know. I’m just tired from today. I can unpack this crap whenever I want,” Noctis said, waving a hand at his friend.

“I, uh…I wish to discuss something with you.”

“You can put the kitchen stuff where you want. I don’t care. You’re the one who’s gonna be using all that stuff anyways.” Noct still wasn’t looking at him. He was on his phone playing some game.

“No, that’s not what I wish to discuss.”

“Can it wait? I don’t want to hear any royal business crap right now. Those meetings have been zapping me of every ounce of my energy.”

“That’s…well, while it is royal business…it’s a little more complex than that. I-“

“Then save it for tomorrow, dude! I told you I’m over it right now.”

Ignis’ face fell a little. He was playing with his fingers again, a sign he was nervous which wasn’t very often at all. Ignis was always composed and poise during any situation. Prompto glanced up from his own phone at Ignis and glanced at him a moment longer than intended. He looked over at Gladio, who caught his glance and frowned at him. Prompto nodded his head toward Iggy and Gladio looked over at their friend. He, too, noticed the sudden change in his energy.

“I really think we should discuss this now-“

“Urghhhh Blah Blah.”

“NOCT.” Gladio’s voice sounded firmly. Noct jumped a little at the stern voice that called his name. He looked over at Gladio about to ask him what the hell that was for. Gladio tilted his head and widened his eyes a bit. “I think what Iggy has to say is important.”

Noct looked over to see Ignis gripping the counter hard with white knuckles. He was trying not to pick at his fingers and give away his nerves. If Ignis was nervous, it had to be serious.

“What’s up Specs?” Noct asked his friend in a soft voice.

“I, um…I wanted to tell you something. It is something I was just informed of myself a few days ago. I needed to digest the news, myself, before telling others about it. I hope you won’t be upset with me for that. I’m telling all of you, actually. But I especially don’t want you to be upset, Noctis,” Ignis said, making eye contact with his friend.

“What’s wrong, Iggy?” Prompto asked in a quiet voice.

“Yeah, are you sick or something?” Noct asked, worried. “You’re making it sound like you have cancer or something.”

“Is it bad, Igs?” Gladio asked, getting concerned as well.

“No, no! I’m not sick. And it’s not…bad. I just don’t wish for you to be upset or angry with me. Or think I’m trying to outdo you or anything like that. That is not my intentions at all! And quite honestly, if you are so upset by the news, I will speak with the king about retracting everything.”

“Just spit it out already! You’re making me worry. What’s so important? Are you moving away? Is he getting rid of you now that I’m gonna be king soon or something? If that’s the case, I’m going down there right now and tell-“

“No no! I am not leaving your side, Noctis! I promise you. And while, this news may make it seem so, please do not think that. I will still be at your side as your advisor and friend.”

“I’m only getting more confused, Iggy. Can you just tell us? I think we’re all anxious right now,” Gladio spoke up.

“Of course. Yes…um….I am…I was asked if I wanted…well…Okay, sorry I’ll start again.” Ignis couldn’t believe why he was having such a hard time finding the words to say. He figured if he had courted a woman, dated her a while, and the boys knew of her, it would be a much grander and happier experience telling them he was to be married. Telling them out of the blue when he never so much as went on a single date with a woman that he was now going to be marrying one was a bit challenging. He took a deep breath and decided to just spit it out. “I am getting married.”

His friends just all sat and stood looking at him. Their faces didn’t change emotion at all. Not even to shock. They were just…staring at him. He looked between them all a few times before picking at his left middle finger. Were they…going to say something?

“What?” Gladio finally asked in a neutral voice, finally blinking.

“I am to be wed. About a month after Noctis. It won’t be quite as elaborate, of course. And it is in no way intended to outdo him or one up him. I’m not even sure the exact details right now. I’m sure she will be picking out a lot of that-‘

“Who is she?” Noctis asked, very clearly puzzled.

“Altissian Princess Y/N of Accordo.”

“You’ve been secretly scoring with the princess of Accordo??” Prompto spat out.

“No, Prompto! I haven’t been…no. I haven’t yet met her-“

“WHAT?” Gladio asked, a more confused look on his face this time.

“She will be arriving here the end of the week, actually. Luna’s boat will dock at Altissia before heading to Lucis. The two of them will be arriving together.” Ignis informed them.

“Why the hell are you marrying her when you’ve never met her?” Noct exclaimed.

“Iggy, if you wanted a girlfriend, I could have helped ya find one! You don’t need to mail order a bride.” Gladio informed his friend.

“I am not...!” Ignis started, getting a bit heated, but quickly calming himself. “I did not mail order a bride, Gladiolus!”

“Then what the hell is going on?” Noct asked.

“Your father asked to speak to me a few days ago. It was a few days after he had spoken with you about marrying Lunafreya. He asked if I was willing to accept Y/N’s hand in marriage. It is a great move to help mend and form relationships and pull our nations together. I agreed-“

“You agreed?? You just…accepted that?” Noct asked, clearly flabbergasted. “My father is pawning you off to some princess for the better of the stupid kingdoms and you are okay with that? I mean, I was mad he’s making me marry someone I didn’t get to choose, but at least I know Luna! You have never even met this chick! You know nothing about her!”

“I know she has lovely red hair. And an orange cat growing up she named Dandelion. And her favorite color is purple. And-“

“Okay so you looked her up on the internet! That doesn’t count!” Noct argued.

“Are you doing this cause you’ve never had a girlfriend?” Gladio asked.

“No, I’m no-“

“You don’t have to just marry someone cause you want a girlfriend, Ignis!” Noct cut in. “We could totally find you someone else! Someone you’re compatible with.”

“Do you not think I am deserving of her?” Ignis asked, a little hurt and a bit mad his friends seemed so against the idea.

“No, I don’t!” Noct yelled out.

Ignis looked like he was punched in the gut. His eyes looked like he was going to cry and his face scrunched a bit before he looked away.

“I see…” he mumbled.

“He’s more fit to marry a princess than you are!” Gladio scolded Noct. He wasn’t for Ignis just marrying himself off as a sacrifice either, but that was a bit harsh.

“What?” Noct asked, confused. “Wait, I didn’t mean he didn’t deserve someone good. I meant she didn’t deserve him! Ignis, that came out wrong. I’m sorry. I just…I don’t think you need to sacrifice your future and your…heart or whatever for something like this.”

Ignis looked back at his friend. He felt a little better than Noctis had misspoken, but still wished they could at least be a little happy for him. He had come to terms with everything over the last few days and was even feeling a bit happy about it himself. Maybe it would just take them some time as well.

“Did the king just like…force it on you?” Prompto asked.

“Yea, did he give you any sort of choice or just like…say hey, marry this chick?” Noct asked.

“He gave me the choice. He said there were a couple others they had considered-“

“Like who?” Noct interrupted.

“Well…he mentioned three others. Two he didn’t name, he just said they were too old and a few other qualities about them that made them not good candidates.”

“Too old? Who the hell could that be?” Noct asked.

“Maybe himself?” Prompto shrugged.

“Nah, royal marriages are a one-time thing. If your spouse dies or divorces you, that’s it. You’re on your own. It keeps people from marrying for titles and money and killing off their husband or wives and crap and keeps the bloodline pure and less messy if they can only marry once,” Noct informed them.

“Who was the other guy?” Gladio asked.

“Well…it was um…you,” Ignis’ voice trailed off at the end.

Gladio’s eyebrows shot up. He was a bit surprised. He wasn’t sure if he was upset he was missing out on some royal princess ass, or glad he dodged a bullet of marriage so early on.

“Wait, they were gonna make Gladio marry her if you didn’t?” Prompto asked.

“I hope you aren’t upset, Gladiolus. If you truly wish to marry her, I can step back and allow you to-“

“Nah…I’m good. I ain’t ready for that crap yet,” Gladio assured his friend. Even if he did like her, he wasn’t going to take this from Ignis. He was fighting awfully hard about it to be against the idea. He seemed almost for it. “But let me ask you…what are your thoughts on all this? Honestly.”

“Honestly?” Ignis asked. “I…well, I was shocked originally. But the more I thought about it and looked at her and imagined it…I’m a little…excited?”

“Excited?” Noct asked, not believing it.

“Hey! Let Iggy be happy! I’m happy for ya, if you are!” Prompto exclaimed, smiling at his friend.

“Thank you, Prompto. Your well wishes are much appreciated,” Ignis thanked him.

“Yeah,” Gladio piped in. “I mean, it’s a little weird. But if you’re okay with it…I am.” Gladio had nothing against Ignis getting married. Whether it was for love or not. Ignis was highly dedicated and it really only makes sense that he would accept an offer like this. Everything he did was for the better of Lucis and for his King and prince. “If you need any pointers or advise, just let me know.”

“I will keep that in mind, Gladio,” Ignis informed him. Although, he was certain he would leave Gladio as a last resort. He wasn’t sure they had the same ideas about women.

“Yea, I mean…if it’s what you want I won’t be mad or whatever,” Noct shrugged. “I just don’t want you doing shit you don’t want to. I want you to be like…happy or whatever. You may hate her when she gets here!”

“I’m certain I will not, but I appreciate your concern. So…do I have your blessing?” Ignis asked hesitantly. While he liked having everyone’s approval, Noct’s approval was the more important to him.

“Of course! You don’t need my approval to marry someone. Just promise me you’ll let me know if she’s mean or whatever and we’ll kick her ass, okay?”

“I do not wish for you to physically harm her for any reason, but I know what you are trying to say and I appreciate it. Thank you Noctis.” Ignis smiled at his friend.

* * *

“You do realize that even if you aren’t done packing, that doesn’t mean your trip is postponed, right? It just means you won’t have your stuff with you when you leave.” A female voice sounded from behind Y/N.

She was laying on her bed, torn between the items she would bring and the things she would leave behind.

“I prepared for my whole life to live in this castle. And now I’m being asked to condense my life to a few suitcases and just leave everything behind! How do you expect me to so easily choose?” she angrily asked her mother.

“I already told you that your room will stay yours. It is yours to use when you visit, which you will be. Don’t act like you will never see this place again.”

“But when will that be? Why can’t he move here? You said he was from Altissia, didn’t you?”

“No, I said his family ancestors are. He has never been here himself. I’m sure he will be eager to visit where his family comes from and see where you are from as well.”

“He probably doesn’t give a shit! My stuff is gonna rot and get dusty in here!”

“You are so damn dramatic, Y/N!” her mother exclaimed, sitting in one of the oversized elaborate chairs at the end of her daughter’s bed. “You won’t even need anything, I’m sure. Take your favorite clothes in one bag, some mementos and things of importance in another, and some random items and more outfits in the other. You will buy all new things when you get there, I’m sure of it. Lucis is known for its black attire. I don’t think you own anything black so I’m quite sure one of the first things you will do when you get there is go shopping.”

“Why do they like black so much? You would think that would be a Niflheim thing. They are the dark and sinister ones.”

“You’re right, and I’m not sure.”

“What about my shoes? I can’t fit them in my clothing bag!”

“So have a bag of just shoes,” her mother shrugged.

“You know, it’s almost feels like you really just don’t care I’m leaving forever. It’s like you can’t wait to be rid of me or something.”

“Oh for crying out loud, Y/N! Of course your father and I will miss you-“

“My brother won’t!” she interrupted.

“No, probably not,” her mother chuckled, joking with her. “But don’t think this is easy on us. Just because we choose not to outwardly be upset over it doesn’t mean we aren’t hurting inside. We will miss you terribly. We love you.”

“Pfft,” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Fine, don’t listen to me,” her mother stood and walked to the door. “But keep in mind, your bags need to be packed by tomorrow. We aren’t shipping anything to you.”

“That would make this all easier! You watch, Lunafreya is gonna show up with half the boat full of boxes! I’m bringing more than three suitcases! You can’t tell me I can’t!”

“Do as you wish! But if there’s not room for them, I don’t want to hear you crying about it tomorrow!” her mother called down the hall as she walked away.

Y/N sat on her bed a moment longer. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. Her mother could try and say all she wanted about how sad she was gonna be that she was leaving, but she knew deep down how excited with this arrangement she was. The people had been pushing for a King to rule for years. This was such an easy out for her. And she was the one who had to uproot her entire life over it! It only made sense that he would come here. It made no sense for her to move to Insomnia.

Everything she heard about the place was awful. It was loud and bright. People in the streets all hours of the night. It was nothing but concrete and pavement and skyscrapers. Not like the beautiful stone architecture of Altissia. Where would they even live? He wasn’t royal, so would they have a room in the Citadel? She was royal, so they must…right?

She had looked Ignis up a couple times over the past few days. He was tall and lanky and looked every bit the nerd she was sure he was. Everyone went on about how smart and educated he was, but he just looked like a dork to her. He probably had allergies and asthma or something ridiculous. He wasn’t…ugly per se. But couldn’t she be marrying a hunk like Gladiolus or something? That man was a looker! She would swoon at the very sight of him. He at least had a more solid name in the royal family. He came from a line of King’s Shields so you knew he was strong, without even seeing his ripped muscles.

Urgh! This was so stupid and unfair! She got up and wrapped a few photo frames of her and her best friend and tucked them into a suitcase, along with her blanket she always slept with from when she was a child. How was she going to sleep with that while sharing a bed with a grown man? She also grabbed a small wooden, locked box from the top of her closet and put it in the suitcase. It contained various important trinkets from her life. A few books were also added.

Y/N smacked her forehead suddenly. Toiletries! She would need an entire bag just for those! And what if some of what she used she couldn’t even find in Insomnia? This wasn’t going to work. She was going to be miserable, she was sure of it!

Grabbing her phone off the nightstand, she sifted through her contacts a moment before dialing the number she was looking for. It only took two rings before the other line was picked up.

“Hi, it’s Y/N. Can I please have some boxes brought to my room? Thank you.”

Y/N ended the call and set her phone back down. Before she could get back to packing, a knock sounded from her door. _That was fast_ , she thought. When she opened the door, it wasn’t the help from downstairs, however.

“Surprise!” a girl squealed in her face.

“LeAnn?? What are doing here?” Y/N asked in shock as her friend hugged her.

“You seriously think I’m gonna let you leave me forever and NOT come have a sleep over the night before?” her friend giggled.

“You’re the best!” Y/N pouted out her bottom lip, both super thankful and super sad at her friend’s words.

“Aaaaand, I brought gifts!” LeAnn exclaimed, holing up a gift bag.

“Oooh! Let me see!” Y/N squealed. She grabbed the bag and pulled out the article of clothing inside. “UM WHAT?!”

“Oh come on! You’re going to be a married woman! You need something a little spicy!” LeAnn told her friend.

“It’s definitely…spicy,” Y/N said, holding the garment up to herself. It was a super sexy sheer piece of lingerie. It resembled a bathing suit, but made of lace. There were little cut outs so her breasts would be out and the crotch was open. “Not sure it will be his type, though.”

“Why? All men love sexy shit like this.”

“Have you seen what he looks like? I don’t think the guy has ever seen a vagina before in his life. Or boobs.”

“Oooh, an innocent virgin, eh? That’s cute!”

“LeAnn…I’m a virgin too!”

“Wait, seriously?” her friend looked at her scrunching her face.

“Yes! I’m a princess! I have to be. If my husband found out I wasn’t, I could be in deep trouble. It’s Royal Law.”

“But you and Micah….” LeAnn questioned, distinctly remembering her friend talking about fooling around with him.

“I gave the guy a hand job! Okay…I gave the guy a few hand jobs. But that’s it!”

“Oh! I didn’t realize my friend was so pure!” LeAnn teased.

“Shut up!” Y/N laughed, swatting at her friend.

“So show me a picture of this future husband of yours. That’s still so weird to say, by the way.”

“Tell me about it! It’s gonna be even weirder to have the wedding actually happen. And live with the guy,” Y/N said, grabbing her phone to look up a picture of Ignis.

“Speaking of which, where will you live? Are you allowed to live in sin with him before you marry, or do you have to stay somewhere else?”

“Honestly, I have no idea what the living arrangements will be. If my mother has any say in the matter, I will be locked in the Citadel dungeon until my wedding day and then locked away in our royal chambers only to surface for holiday dinners,” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“I can honestly see that!” LeAnn laughed.

“Here…that’s him,” Y/N handed her phone over.

“Oh…okay…” LeAnn commented.

“What does that mean?” Y/N laughed.

“He’s…well, he definitely looks smart!”

“He’s a nerd! I get it!”

“And I def see the virgin vibes you were getting.”

“See what I mean?”

“But…that could be kinda fun!”

“What are you talking about?” Y/N asked.

“You’re his first! Like, his first everything! You have a chance to ruin him for any other woman!”

“LeAnn…we are getting married! What other women are you talking about?”

“Well, he won’t even seek other women out for an affair cause you will be so much excitement for him, he won’t be able to ever find anything as exciting as you! Your pussy is the only pussy he’s gonna taste! The only pussy he knows! Why would he need any other?”

“Oh, I don’t know, LeAnn…maybe because he will get bored with only one fucking pussy! Maybe he will regret not tasting any others, as you put it. That’s gonna make him seek it out somewhere else even more!”

“Look at this guy, Y/N! This is not the cheating type! This is the guy who is so damn dedicated to his woman, he breaks his back for her no matter how miserable it makes him.”

“Yeah…he does look like those pathetic geeks who try too hard…”

“You’re gonna crush him, aren’t you?” LeAnn asked.

“No…”

“You so are and you know it!”

“I don’t even want to marry him, so yeah, I probably will hurt him a bit. He’s probably so damn excited he gets a woman he’s jizzing his pants thinking about it,” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Oh give him a chance! It’s free dick. Take advantage of it!”

“I don’t need free dick! I’m a fucking princess, future queen of Accordo! Well, was future queen. I didn’t need free handouts!”

Y/N walked over to her window looking out over Altissia. She had everything! And it was all being ripped out from under her. Everything she grew to love and live for…gone. This was so ridiculous. She could joke with her friend about it to keep from crying in their last moments together…but she was deeply upset and angry. She didn’t want this. None of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to just point out that there is a small time skip between Ignis POV and Y/N POV. Those conversations and such didn't happen on the same night. That may look a little confusing Ignis talking about her coming in a week and then shes packing for tomorrow. Just wanted to make that clear. 
> 
> Thank you once again for all the feedback and love on this fic! Our princess will be meeting Ignis very soon and I can't wait to get into their interactions together and all that's gonna happen between them lol 
> 
> Keep in mind though in the coming chapters, while a lot of this story does follow the movie and game, the timeline will be a little skewed. You'll see what I mean as it happens. Everything still pretty much happens, just a little differently or with some more time in between events. And if you have any questions or feel the need to point out any thing, I am always all ears and willing to explain something.   
> I love every hit, kudo, and comment I get! Thank you so much!!!


	4. Chapter 3

Ignis was in his bathroom looking in the mirror. If he added any more hairspray to his hair, there would be no combing it flat for a week. And if he added any more cologne, he was sure he would choke her with the fumes. He couldn’t be overpowering when they first met. That was almost worse than being underwhelming. He was more afraid right now of sweating through his shirt. He can’t remember a time in his life when he was ever this nervous. Even the first time he met Prince Noctis, he wasn’t this on edge.

“Someone got the jitters?” a deep voice chuckled in the bathroom doorway. Ignis jumped and turned, facing the muscular man who apparently entered his apartment without his knowledge.

“Gladio! You gave me a fright!” Ignis scolded his friend, holding a hand against his heart.

“Sorry, Iggy,” Gladio laughed.

“How did you even get in?”

“I got a key, remember? This used to be Noct’s place. Prince’s shield needs a way in if there’s an emergency.”

“Yes, well, I am not the Prince, nor is there an emergency. So I’m not sure what made you think you could just invite yourself in unannounced,” Ignis grumbled, going back to primping himself in the mirror.

“I knocked and you didn’t answer, so I came in. What could you be doing in here that I shouldn’t see? Although…here soon I can see why you would be mad. Wouldn’t want me walking in on you and your new lady going at it.”

“Gladiolus! Enough,” Ignis snapped at his friend.

“Geez, Iggy. You really this nervous?”

“What makes you think I’m nervous?”

“For one, you keep biting my head off and you’re irritable as hell. And two, your hands are shaking.”

Ignis looked down at his hands a moment before balling them into fists in an attempt to calm the muscles from trembling. He then wiped them down the front of his pants. His damn palms were just as sweaty as the rest of him. He couldn’t meet his future bride with soggy palms.

“I’m a wreck Gladio. What if she doesn’t like me? What if I’m nothing like she expected? I was already warned by King Regis she wouldn’t be happy about the circumstances surrounding our marriage. I must assure her happiness and make this transition as smooth and enjoyable as possible for her.”

“Okay, wait a minute. First of all, I’m sure she will like you. Just…don’t bore her with facts and books and…stuff.”

Ignis just stared at his friend.

“Okay…maybe easier said than done for someone like you. Just…try and do things girls like, even if you hate it. Trust me. It will make you look really good. Flowers, candy, movie dates, shopping…it’s gonna be torture to you but it will win you all kinds of brownie points.”

“That doesn’t sound torturous to me.”

“Well, then you’re gonna be golden! Just remember…if it’s a guy thing and you would enjoy it…she probably won’t. Although, you’re a bit different. You aren’t into a lot of super masculine things. So, it won’t be so hard for you,” Gladio shrugged.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ignis asked, confused. Was Gladio trying to say he wasn’t masculine enough?

“Nothing. Now, onto the next point. Of course you’re not gonna be what she expected. She doesn’t know you. All she has to go on is what her mind has made up about you. Just don’t be too different from your true self or you will either always be living a lie, or when you do let your true self show, she will accuse you of lying to her or changing who you are or some crap.”

“Your advice sounds better than I thought it would be, I must be honest.”

“I told you, if you ever need any pointers or anything…I got you! Now, last point you made. It is not your responsibility to make her happy. Yes, it’s a good idea to try and you don’t want to make her not happy. But she can’t solely rely on you to be happy here. She’s gonna have to find things here that make her happy. She’s gonna have to build her own life here.”

“While I understand where you are coming from,” Ignis started saying after a moment of silence, “I wish nothing more than to be the happiness she finds here.”

Gladio looked at his friend and smiled. He was genuinely happy for Ignis. He always worried about him and whether he would ever find anyone. Not because no one would like him, but he would never allow them to. He would turn girls away without realizing it. He was oblivious to flirting and would never even allow himself the luxury of caring for another person other than Noctis. He barely cared for himself sometimes it seemed.

“Well, I wish nothing but the best for you,” Gladio told his friend, truly meaning it.

“I appreciate it, Gladio. Truly, I do.”

“Come on, let’s get going. Stop touching your hair or you’ll ruin it. I’ll drive you. And we can stop at the flower shop on the way.”

“Thank you Gladio,” Ignis sighed in relief. He was thankful his friend came over to help him. He knew he would be a mess and too distracted to properly drive. And thankfully he thought of something like flowers. Ignis would have shown up empty handed and looked a fool. With one last look at himself, and a quick check that he hadn’t sweat through the armpits of his shirt, he grabbed his suit jacket and followed Gladio out the apartment door.

* * *

Y/N stood against the railing looking out over the vast ocean as the boat rocked lightly, carrying her to her new future. The goodbye with her parents had been nothing special. Rather quick, actually. She swore it felt like they were trying to get rid of her. She was always closer with her father than her mother. He at least whispered how much he loved and would miss her in her ear when she hugged him goodbye. The hug between her and her mother felt almost forced.

Saying goodbye to LeAnn was another thing. Her friend spent the night and they were up till almost dawn sharing memories and laughing together. Crying together. Hugging each other and making promises to call often and visit when they could. She came with her to the docks where she boarded her boat and they waved at each other until their figures vanished into the horizon.

She had been standing against the railing for the last hour. She should probably get some sleep. She barely got any last night. But her mind was racing too much for her to try and rest. Luna had nodded at her when she boarded, but seemed to be keeping her distance. She knew she was being rude by not talking to her, but she was too upset. She had been dreading this day ever since her mother told her of the marriage plans. Every so often she would gently raise her hand and wipe a stray tear that had escaped her eye off her cheek.

Maybe she should try and talk a bit to Luna. Honestly, one thing that bothered her the most about all this was how lonely she was going to be. She didn’t know anyone in Insomnia, or any part of Lucis. And calling LeAnn wouldn’t be the same. Luna was probably going to be her closest comrade. She was in the same position she was in, pretty much. They were both apart of arranged marriages they had no choice in. They were both being ripped from their homes to live in a strange land; away from the places they were raised to give their lives for. A presence behind her told her that Luna may have had the idea before she did.

“Y/N…are you alright?” Luna’s gentle voice sounded from behind her.

“Yeah…I’m fine I guess. Sorry. I’m being rude, I know but….I’m just a bit upset.”

Y/N didn’t mean to be rude to Luna. She was known for her attitude and standoffishness, but Luna was nothing but kind and warm and she had nothing against her.

“No need to apologize. But, may I ask why you are so upset?” Luna pushed.

Y/N turned around and looked at her then.

“Are you not?”

“Why would I be?” Luna tilted her head, confused.

“Seriously?” Y/N scoffed lightly. “We’re being sold off to men we don’t even know to live in a land we know nothing about.”

“You don’t know about Lucis?”

“Only the basics. I couldn’t tell you much beyond the politics.”

“Oh. Well, it’s really a lovely land! There’s some beautiful places to visit! The place we are docking is a popular resort getaway. There’s actually quite a few little towns. Lucis is a pretty big expanse of land. Most of it can be hot and dry, unlike Niflheim. But it’s still quite beautiful.”

“Good to know I guess,” Y/N retorted. She didn’t care what the place looked like. “What about Insomnia?”

“Oh, It’s a huge city! Lots of tall buildings and places to see. Shops to go to, places to eat. A lot of people went there for refuge, so they have all kinds of cultures there. Accordian food restaurants. Tennebraen art and cloths for various clothing. I’m sure you will feel at home there if you look hard enough.”

“I shouldn’t have to search for home in my home. It should just feel that way or be that way.”

“I think you will find yourself feeling more at home than you think,” Luna assured her. “And we are both marrying fine men. They will help us get around and show us all we wish to see.”

“How can you be so sure? We know nothing about them!”

“Oh, I actually know Noctis very well-“

“What??” Y/N asked in shock.

“We have known each other since we were children. We’ve visited each other often and write to each other each week. Marrying him will be like marrying my best friend,” Luna smiled.

“Well, how nice for you! At least one of us is going to enjoy this shit show.”

“Ignis is a lovely man as well, Y/N. Quite the gentleman. I’ve met him a fair share of times, too.”

“Really? What can you tell me about him?” Y/N asked, letting her curiosity get to her.

“Well, he’s very smart. Highly edu-“

“Educated, yeah yeah, so I’ve heard,” Y/N interrupted. “That’s what everyone says. Tell me something they don’t.”

“Hmmm…well, he doesn’t speak a whole lot. He’s more of an observer. But that’s not a bad thing. He’s always ready for anything that may be thrown at him. He’s a great cook! He cooks for Noctis often. He’s neat and tidy. I’m quite certain you will grow to love him.”

“Honestly…he sounds like the exact opposite of what I go for. I’m not much for…nerds.”

Luna chuckled into her hand.

“Yes, I suppose he is a bit of a…nerd. But so is Noctis, honestly. With his video games and comic books and arcade trips. Yep, definitely a nerd,” she smiled.

“Couldn’t they have offered me Gladio? At least he has good looks and a really great body, let’s be honest. He’s strong. He has a great smile. He could protect me if something happened-“

“Yes, but it is not his duty to protect you,” Luna interrupted. “It’s his duty to protect Noct above everyone else. Don’t’ you think that could be a bit of a conflict?”

Y/N frowned. She never thought of it that way. And the more she thought about it, she would be furious to see her husband put himself in front of danger for someone other than her. But Gladio was big enough, he could probably stand in front of both Noctis and her and still block both of them from danger.

“Ignis is more than you think he is. You will see. You just have to let yourself see it. If you constantly think he is less of the man than he truly is, you will never see him for all he can be.”

Luna walked back to the seat she had been occupying most of the trip. Y/N wasn’t sure if their little talk made her feel any better or worse. Who was Luna to tell her how to feel? They weren’t actually in the same situation at all. She was marrying her childhood friend she talks to every week. Someone she knows everything about. It didn’t sound like an arranged marriage at all. Y/N was the one who pulled the short straw. She was the one getting the worst end of the deal. Even Ignis was getting more out of this than she was. How did everything in her life turn upside down so suddenly and without any warning?

* * *

Y/N couldn’t help but fiddle with the lace on her dress. She looked so very different from Lunafreya. The other girl was wearing a very slim fitting, periwinkle silk dress that went just a bit below her knees. There was no design on it or anything. No extra sewn fabric or even fancy sleeves. It was just a basic tank top look up on her shoulders. Y/N, on the other hand, was in a full gown. It was one typically worn in her country for meeting with high officials. She figured it would be appropriate to meet the King of Lucis in. It had a tight fitting corset bodice. There was white and deep purple lace intricately sewn on it. The sleeves were a white lace with rose designs. Her skirt was full and quite wide, thanks to the petticoat underneath. The skirt was more purple than white, unlike the top part of her dress. She almost wore one of her lace hats royal women often wore in her country, but decided against it. Thank the six the car she was in had AC. Luna wasn’t kidding when she said it was hot and dry here. She was also thankful she had her own car. Her dress took up most of the room in the backseat. The car was a bit small for her tastes and looked like a teenager’s sports car.

Drautos, the head of the Kingsglaive she thinks they called it, was driving Luna in the car in front of her. The two of them were riding in the King’s Regalia. She assumed her car was Noct’s. Her driver was Cor, head of the Crownsguard. She also had a royal guard of her own in the front passenger seat. Her mother insisted on him coming along and staying until the wedding. He was basically her only connection right now to home and assurance that she was being treated properly. She was at least happy to have him along. His name was Bernard and he had been part of her royal detail since she was just a kid. She grew up knowing him so she was very glad he was the one accompanying her right now.

They had a truck hauling their belongings. Luna didn’t come with much. Just two suitcases. She, however, brought the three suitcases she had plus about five large boxes just like she told her mother she would. Luna seemed the minimalist, simplistic type though. From her looks to her wardrobe, to even the way she talked. She was quiet and always looked peaceful and happy. Absolutely the opposite of Y/N.

Everyone seemed to be in such plain clothes around here, too. She felt so overdressed. She looked over the top. She wasn’t sure if standing out was a good or bad thing. She wanted to blend in a bit, beings that this was her new home and she wanted to feel a part of the new kingdom she would be living in and representing. But a big part of her wanted to stick out. To remind them all of who she truly was and where she came from. To represent her home and be a statement. It was going to cause trouble and quite a bit of unease, but the stubborn part of her didn’t care and was willing to sacrifice social comfort to prove her point.

Looking out the window, she watched the landscape change. The resort town they had landed in was nice. Simple, but nice. It looked like a typical beach getaway. Nothing too special. A simple hotel and place to eat.

As they rode out of the town and up the large hill, the green grass gave way to red dust and very little, if no signs of vegetation. It looked like a deserted road that went on for miles. They passed what looked like a possible town. There was a tiny diner and motel and gas station. Next was a rusted, abandoned mine. It looked on the very verge of collapse.

They were still in the middle of the desert when they stopped to refuel. This supposed town had a name, Hammerhead, but was just a gas station and diner. Nothing more. How is that a town? Well, there was a car mechanic garage. And a camper? Apparently it was rented out for the night to those passing by. They didn’t even have a motel available. Near the entrance was a man selling swords and various other weapons out of his truck. What kind of place allowed men to just sell weapons on the street? Was that even legal?

As they pulled up to the gas pump on the other side of the Regalia, Cor looked back at her before getting out.

“Would you like to stretch your legs, Miss? The diner also has a restroom if you need to use it or freshen up. We don’t have much longer of a drive.”

“A stretch would do my legs some good,” Y/N responded.

Cor nodded and exited the car. He opened her door and helped her get out, careful of her dress. What a filthy place to wear white. Thankfully she exited on the opposite side of the car than the gas pump. Instantly the heat hit her. She could feel her forehead already accumulating sweat just standing outside. She walked towards the diner to use the restroom. Bernard was a few feet behind her, careful to give her personal space. He knew she hated someone right on her tail. He also let Cor help her out of the car instead of himself. Call it a test of the man’s manners. Bernard was meant to be a ghost. To be there without being there.

“I’m simply peeing, Berney,” Y/N spoke without turning around. “This place looks abandoned. I doubt someone it gonna jump me in the toilet.”

“You stick out like a sore thumb, my lady. Who knows what thugs live around these parts. Your dress alone looks to be worth more than these people’s monthly salaries.”

Y/N silently agreed. Where the hell was the Citadel? This place spanned on forever. It was hard to picture a large bustling city and large castle. Her mother mentioned people out all hours in the streets. She had a hard time believing people could stand being out in heat like this any hour of the day.

As she walked into Takka's Pit Stop, as it apparently was called, a burst of cool AC hit her. Thankfully the place at least had that. She had to wonder just looking at the outside of the place. The diner’s logo was plastered around. It was up on the menu hanging behind the cook. It was on the outside sign. It was even embroidered on the worker’s shirt. She slowly approached the counter. The man behind it looked at her a bit taken back and stuttered out a greeting.

“Hello, can you please point me in the direction of your restroom?” Y/N asked. She knew how to have manners when it mattered. She wasn’t a complete brat. Even though she trying her absolute hardest to not pull a face at the awkwardness of the gentleman speaking to her.

“Oh, uh…over there in the corner. Women’s in on the right.”

“Thank you kindly!”

Y/N turned and looked at Bernard before she went to freshen up.

“This place looks empty and harmless enough. Do me a favor and please find my purple backpack purse and retrieve my fold fan. I’m gonna need it when we get to Insomnia if the heat there is anything like this place. I don’t want to be a drenched sweaty poodle when I meet the king.”

“Of course, my lady.”

As Bernard exited the diner, Y/N made her way to the restroom. She pushed open the door and hesitantly looked around. It seemed clean….ish. The floor was one of her biggest concerns. The last thing she wanted was the bottom of her dress to be black with dust bunnies clinging to it. The stalls were too small to think about using the toilet in her dress. She would need to practically remove it to even fit in there. Cor mentioned it wouldn’t be too much longer until they were at their destination. She didn’t have to go too bad so she decided to just hold it. Suddenly the door behind her opened, causing her heart to race a moment. She was suddenly nervous at the thought of having to converse with a local already. She knew they would ask questions about the way she looked and where she was from. She didn’t want to seem stupid if they asked questions about Lucis. She knew nothing about this damn place, other than how boring and mundane it looked so far. Thankfully it was just Luna.

“Oh, hello!” she smiled at Y/N.

“Hey,” Y/N whispered back.

“Were you going in there?” Luna pointed to the empty stall.

“Oh, no! Go ahead!”

“Okay, thank you!” Luna walked passed her and closed the door. “Would you even fit in here?” she asked.

“I was wondering the same thing,” Y/N chuckled.

“Do you need my help? I can guard the door or something if you needed to remove your dress.”

“Oh, no I’m fine. But thanks.”

Y/N felt a little weird having a conversation with her while she was doing her business. She and LeAnn had done it many times. They were always going to the bathroom together when they went places. Or even at her place. But Luna was practically a stranger. The toilet flushed and Luna soon exited the stall, walking over to the sink to wash her hands.

“So, are you more nervous or excited now that we are almost there?”

“Nervous, I guess,” Y/N answered. She hadn’t been excited about any of this thus far. What would change now?

“Understandable. Like I said, Ignis is really nice. And so is the King. They’re all pretty kind. No need to be nervous.”

“Even your driver? He looks ready to kill someone.”

“Drautos?” Luna giggled. “He just has to look hard and tough. He’s the head of the Kingsglaive, which is known as one of the toughest group of fighters on Eos. He has a reputation to uphold. He doesn’t scare me.”

“I don’t think Cor has smiled once either,” Y/N retorted.

“Again, he has a reputation to uphold. Cor has always been rough around the edges. He’s in no way unkind, though. Has he been unkind to you?” Luna asked.

“Well, no. But the least he could do is smile or something.”

“They are probably saying the same thing about you.”

“What?” Y/N snapped her head to look over at Luna, who was now leaning against the sink.

“Well, I haven’t seen you smile once since we picked you up,” Luna simply remarked, not realizing how offended Y/N was at the statement.

“Excuse me for being upset about leaving my family forever to move to a foreign country and be forced into marriage with a man I don’t even know. Doesn’t exactly make me want to smile. However, if I was back home and we were receiving not one, but two royal princesses as guests marrying into our kingdom, I would smile and greet them with much friendlier faces than they sent to retrieve us!” Y/N snapped and stormed out of the bathroom.

Luna was seriously telling her to be more happy? That she looked unfriendly? That these people were questioning her character? The fucking audacity! Urgh! What was with that girl anyways? How did she always seem so carefree and happy? OH! That’s right! She was on her way to see her childhood sweetheart and best friend and live happily ever after with him as the Queen of Lucius! How fucking wonderful for her!

Y/N pushed open the diner door and felt the heat almost take her breath away. That didn’t slow down her stomp back to the car. Cor was standing by her door waiting on her return having a quiet conversation with Drautos. When he spotted her, he quickly stopped his conversation and opened her door.

“Everything alright?” he asked her.

“Fine,” Y/N growled out, squeezing herself back into the small backseat of the car. When she was settled in, Cor shut her door and Bernard turned towards her from his place in the front seat.

“I found your fan, Miss Y/N,” he said, handing her the deep purple lace folding fan she treasured.

“Thank you Berney,” she said, grabbing it from him and immediately opening it to use. She looked out the window as Drautos helped Luna into her car. She was trying her hardest to hold back tears.

This was it. Next stop, her new home. Her new husband. Her new life. The action of fanning herself helped to hide and small tremble in her hands. Her breathing had quickened a bit, but she could easily blame it on the heat affecting her if asked.

The more they drove, she was able to take her mind back off of things a bit and settle down. That is, until they came to a bridge. Looking out the front windshield, she was able to see a city looming on the horizon. They were here. And it was exactly as she had been told. A giant city with huge buildings. As they got closer, she could feel her stomach dropping again.

They had to make a stop at a gate before entering the city. Cor took care of the security. There were what looked like soldiers outside of both Luna’s car and her own .The backseat windows rolled down, startling her a moment. The guards looked in both sides of the car at her in the backseat, while another man looked between her and a document in his hands. She felt immensely uncomfortable and as if she was under a microscope. One of the guards smiled and waved at her as he looked in the car. Another had walked over to Bernard’s window and was asking him a few questions while writing on a clipboard in his hands. She had a hard time paying attention to what they were saying. She was paying more attention to everyone walking around the car with their weapons in hand looking in at her, their eyes raking her up and down.

“Berney…” she whispered out, feeling her anxiety rising.

“Everything is alright, Miss Y/N,” Bernard interrupted his own sentence to the guard to assure her. “Simple security protocol.” Bernard returned to answering the guard’s questions and Cor glanced back at her. She made eye contact with him and his face seemed to soften a moment.

“Are you alright?” Cor asked. She mutely nodded her head a bit. “Just making sure you’re who you say you are. That’s all. Security is tight around here, but it’s solid.” She nodded again at him and looked back out the window.

She caught a glimpse of one of the papers in a guard’s hand. It had a picture of her on it. Who else would she be? Do people not know what she looked like? Granted, she stayed out of the public’s eye a lot and was rarely photographed. But surely, these people should know what she looked like if she were coming here. Did they think she was kind of imposter? She then remembered that almost nobody knew what Prince Noctis looked like. He was always out of the camera’s eye and there seemed to be some kind of rule about putting his photograph in outside news articles.

Luna’s car had already left, given the clear a few minutes ago. She guessed Bernard was what was holding her own car back from being given the clear. They seemed to be questioning him a lot. Finally, after a few more minutes, the windows rolled back up and the guards stepped back from the car. They began their decent into the city.

Y/N couldn’t help but be in awe at the tall buildings. They seemed to go straight up into the sky. Each their own structures. Altissia had some high buildings, but everything was a piece of something else. It all wove together with intricate stairways and alleys. And it was just as described to her- blacktop and concrete. Dark buildings and roads for miles. Highways and byways and multiple lanes…they didn’t even use cars in Altissia. They used boats and walked everywhere. Every so often a bike or cart would be going down the lane. But they really only had single lanes. Here, there were up to four at a time! Cars were everywhere. And people too. So many people. Stores and shops and cafes were on every corner. It was enough to make her feel almost claustrophobic.

Before she knew it, they slowed down for another gate. This one didn’t take half as long to get through. Only Cor had to lower his window and present a card to the guard. Apparently the guards at the last gate had relayed their clearance to them. She was thankful for that. At least she didn’t have to feel judged and scrutinized out in the middle of a large city like this by a bunch of guards again.

The crowds were still vast, even right outside the Citadel. That surprised her a bit. They let this many people so close to their castle? She glanced up in the sky at the building in front of her. It looked looming and dark. Almost medieval and more like it belonged in Niflheim.

Their car pulled around and behind the Regalia in front of the large set of stairs leading up to the large doors of the Citadel. She could see through the tinted car windows the King standing at the top, with his shield to his right. Beside him on his left was a younger looking man (or teenager it looked like) with a bulky guy standing to his left. That must be the Prince and his shield, she guessed. Noctis and Gladio. And beside the muscular shield was a tall, skinny man with glasses. Her fiancé.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh so close to meeting!! Next week, my friends. And as much as I would love for them to be all cutsey and bashful in front of each other and blushing...you can already feel how this is going to go. Maybe...lol
> 
> Thank you again for the love and support on this fic! I'm so glad you guys are liking it as much as I'm liking writing it.


	5. Chapter 4

Ignis walked out to take his place beside his friends Gladio, Noctis, and the King. The King’s shield was there as well, naturally. Crowe, a female Kingsglaive, and Monica, a female Crownsguard, were standing quite a few feet behind everyone. They figured the two females would make the arriving women feel more comfortable. Prompto wished he could be there to see his friends’ new women arriving, however, he wasn’t a royal member and wasn’t able to be there. He was attempting to join the Crownsguard, though. He hated that he couldn’t be by Noct’s side as often as he wanted to be. He was often excluded from a lot of events simply because of his social status. Simply being the best friend of the prince didn’t get him as far as he would have liked. According to Cor, he was doing very well and on his way to quickly earning his Crownsguard attire.

Ignis stopped to stand beside Gladio. His friend looked down at him and chuckled in the back of his throat. He was so glad his nervousness was amusing to his friends. He couldn’t be too hard on him, however. Gladio did come pick him up and assure him everything would be fine.

This was it. This would be the moment he finally met her. He wished he had at least spoken to her on the phone or even text or emailed her before now. He knew he wouldn’t be as nervous if he had. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t think of doing that until now. He hoped she wouldn’t be offended that he hadn’t.

Noct glanced over at his friend and his shoulders suddenly slumped.

“Damnit, Specs! You got flowers? I didn’t think to get Luna anything!”

Regis and Clarus both started laughing. They knew the young boy would be clueless about girls. Maybe they should have given him a crash course on women and dating before this day came.

“No flowers? No chocolates? No nothing? What will the future Queen of Lucis think, Noct?” Regis joked with his son.

“Shut up dad! I’m no good at this crap,” Noct whined.

“Clearly,” Clarus snickered.

Ignis glanced at the bouquet of flowers in his hand and at the approaching car he knew was the Regalia. Without much thought, he held out the flowers toward Noctis. His friend looked at them and then him with a look of surprise on his face before quickly taking them.

“Thanks Specs! I owe you!” Noct sighed in relief. Regis and Clarus just shook their heads. And so did Gladio.

“Shouldn’t have done that,” his bigger friend mumbled.

Ignis straightened his suit jacket and took another deep breathe. He only hoped he himself would be good enough for her at this point. Maybe he should have split the bouquet instead. Too late now. He couldn’t ask Noct for half of it back. The elaborate black car stopped momentarily at the gate before pulling in front of the large staircase leading to the Citadel front doors. Everyone seemed to straighten a bit, knowing who was in the car. As Drautos got out of the driver’s seat and was making his way to the passenger side, Ignis couldn’t help but bring his focus back to the road beyond the gate. Why was there only one car?

Luna exited the car and immediately looked up at Noct. Her face beamed and her sweet smile made everyone’s lips upturn slightly…except for Ignis. He was too busy staring at the road. He glanced at her a moment, but didn’t look up at her again until she reached the top of the stairs. She seemed to look the same since the last time he saw her. Still a beautiful and kind human being radiating light.

“Luna! How nice to see you again! Welcome to Lucis! We hope you will enjoy your new home and life with Noctis.” Regis greeted her.

“Thank you, your Majesty,” Luna bowed her head down a moment.

Ignis brought his focus away from her again and back to the scenery before him. Where was Y/N? She did come, right? They were supposed to arrive together, he thought. He distinctly remembered hearing that Drautos took the Regalia to retrieve Luna and Cor took Noct’s car to get Y/N. So where was Cor? He knew to bring her to the Citadel, right? Surely he wouldn’t bring her to the apartment. Maybe she backed out and never showed up. Maybe she missed the boat. Maybe Cor just drove the car right back to the underground parking garage since she wasn’t with him. Ignis shifted his feet a bit and caught Gladio’s attention.

“She was supposed to come too…right?” his friend whispered to him.

“Yes, Gladio,” he whispered back.

“So where is she?”

“I don’t know!” Ignis whispered back a bit harshly.

The mild commotion caught the other’s attention for a moment. It seemed to suddenly dawn on them that they were missing someone. They seemed to be so caught up in seeing each other once again, they didn’t immediately take notice.

“Um…” Noct mumbled awkwardly.

“Luna…” Regis began. “Did Y/N accompany you on your trip?”

“Oh, yes. They were right behind us. Well, last I paid attention, anyways. Which was when we left Hammerhead gas station.”

Heavens, that was miles back! What if something happened? What if they wrecked or had car trouble? Cor would surely call. They would have been informed, he imagined.

“Monica,” Regis commanded sternly. She nodded her head and brought out her phone, intending to call Cor. Few words were exchanged before she pocketed her phone.

“They got held up at the city entrance gates, Your Majesty. Her passenger required extra questioning. They should be here momentarily,” Monica relayed.

Ignis could feel his heart rate settling down at the news. She was here. She didn’t back out. She really came. For a moment he wondered who her extra passenger was, but his heart rate started speeding back up when he saw the smaller black sports car pulling up to the Citadel gates. As the car pulled around, he noticed someone sitting in the front passenger seat. The tinted windows made it hard to make out if the figure was even female or male. When the car stopped, everyone straightened back up again. Cor exited the car, as well as the other person in the front seat. It was a dapper looking older man. Was that her father? Surely he wouldn’t have traveled with her, did he? That would make this all the more nerve wracking if that were the case. He was actually pretty glad he didn’t have to go through the process of appeasing her father and enduring his scrutiny during an awkward family dinner.

As the back door opened, his heart rate stopped altogether. A woman with long curly red hair stepped out of the car with the help of Cor’s hand. Her dress, or gown he should say, was elaborate and one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing he ever saw on a girl. When his eyes locked onto her face, they never left. She was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. He wasn’t sure he even remembered how to breathe. She seemed to stand in place, not moving, for a few moments. Her eyes raking each individual before finding Ignis. When she locked eyes with him, she immediately looked away. He watched her visibly take a breath before ascending the large staircase. Was she as nervous as he? Her large, lace skirt in hand, she seemed to glide up the stairs.

The closer she got, the more beautiful she seemed to become to Ignis. This was it. This was her. She was here…and she was his! How did he get so lucky? How had he appeased the Astrals so much for them to bless him with this gift? When she finally reached the top where everyone was standing, she stopped and just stood there a moment. No one seemed to say anything. It was slightly awkward. Everyone already knew Luna. She was like a daughter to King Regis. This was someone none of them had ever even spoken to before. The Accordo nation kept to themselves, mostly. They didn’t involve themselves in national affairs often and closed themselves off. No one was even very familiar with Altissian customs.

“Your Majesty,” she curtsied, bowing her head. Her voice was soft and light, almost mumbled. She felt odd bowing to another King. She didn’t bow to her father and didn’t meet with other royal rulers. When ambassadors and council members traveled the kingdom, a simple head nod was all she was required to give them. People bowed to her, usually. Here…now…things would be different for her. She didn’t want to risk offending him right off the rip.

Ignis’ breath caught in his throat at the spoken words. Even her voice was angelic. It was only two spoken words; not even spoken really, more whispered. But it was enough to convince him she could sing in a choir in the heavens.

“Welcome to Lucis, Princess Y/N,” Regis greeted her. “We are honored to have you and hope you grow to love our kingdom as much as your own.” A moment passed before he lightly cleared his throat and side glanced at his son. He really needed to up the etiquette classes for Noct.

“Oh, um…welcome to Lucis!” Noct stammered out. “I’m Prince Noctis. Things are pretty chill around here so, you’ll probably like it,” he shrugged. Clarus and Regis simply closed their eyes and quietly sighed.

Y/N just stared at him a moment, not sure how to take that particular greeting. She didn’t have a stick up her ass or anything, she was a young adult herself and didn’t always engage in formal speaking…but she would never say something like “this place is pretty chill” to another royal. Especially in front of the King. She had yet to really look much at Ignis. She was almost purposely doing so. First on her agenda was greeting the King and Prince.

Ignis wondered if he was this awed by her simply because it was the first time he let himself spend so long admiring a woman, or if she truly was as great as his mind was telling him. The longer he stood looking at her, he knew it was the latter. A slight nudge to his shoulder by Gladio snapped him out of his reverie and made him aware of the ever growing awkward silence that was his turn to fill.

“Welcome to Lucis, Princess Y/N,” he bowed slightly. She finally turned to him and the eye contact almost made him stutter. “I am Ignis Sciencia.”

He held his hand out to take hers. She raised her hand gently, assuming he would grab her fingers and slightly raise it; a more proper hand greeting for women, especially of Royalty if they allowed you to take their hands. Ignis however full on shook her hand like he was making a business transaction. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in shock. She drew her hand back to her chest when he released it, not sure how to react. She doesn’t recall a person ever actually shaking her hand. Everyone’s eyes widened at the gesture, including Ignis’.

She wasn’t sure where to look so she glanced at the large, colorful bouquet in Luna’s hands and back to Ignis. He could clearly read the disappointment in her eyes at thinking Noct went above and beyond for his bride while she simply received a handshake. Ignis wanted to throw up. He definitely regretted giving Noctis his flowers now.

“You must be Bernard Fournier,” Regis said, looking at her guest. “We welcome you as well, for however long it is you choose to stay.” Regis was aware of who Bernard was and agreed to his accompanying Y/N. He knew it would possibly make her more at ease if she had someone familiar with her. It would also make the Altissian Queen more at ease that her daughter was being treated fairly and Lucis was a kingdom to be trusted.

“Thank you, your majesty,” he bowed lightly. It wasn’t as foreign to him to bow to other royal figures, but it still felt wrong not bowing to his own Queen. “I am only here to protect the Princess. Please feel free to ignore my presence.”

“Nonsense,” Regis replied. “We are glad to have you with us. Well, shall we enter the eating hall?” Regis asked, turning to everyone. “We figured with the long day’s journey, a social gala would be exhausting on the both of you. However, we assume you must be famished and in need of a proper meal and have prepared a lovely dinner together,” Regis smiled.

“It sounds lovely, Regis!” Luna beamed.

“If you don’t mind I need to freshen up a bit,” Y/N firmly stated. “Is there a restroom I can visit quickly?” She seemed to be looking anywhere except at any particular person.

“Of course! Crowe! Monica!” Regis called the two women over. “Please escort Princess Y/N to the restroom nearest the dining hall. Then kindly escort her to us for dinner.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” they both bowed their heads before turning to Y/N and smiling. Y/N quickly stepped around Ignis and made her way to the doors. It was only proper that the King first enter, but she wanted nothing more than to escape the moment. Screw etiquette at this point. Everyone else seemed to be doing the same! Bernard followed the women, not willing to so quickly trust his Princess in the hands of another.

Everyone stood watching her almost stomp into the building. The sudden shift in her emotions jarred them all a moment.

“Give her time, my boy,” Regis assured Ignis as he watched her walk off. Ignis was picking his fingers and they all knew her light snub affected him. He remembered the king telling him about the drastic changes her life would be taking and how hard on her it was going to be. He had to remember not to take offense to her emotions.

“She’s a bit upset,” Luna added softly. “I talked with her on the boat and she feels betrayed and angry. I’m sure it will pass in time,” she smiled.

As the men and Luna made their way inside the Citadel for dinner, Gladio looked down at his friend.

“A hand shake?” he quietly asked.

“I have no idea what cursed me to do such a thing!” Ignis exclaimed, clearly frustrated with himself. He had thought over and over the last couple days of how he would greet her. And a firm business handshake was NOT what he pictured. Gladio just snickered, shaking his head.

“Lighten up, buddy! Not like she can dump you!” he joked.

Ignis did not appreciate the humor right now and glared up at his friend. No, she couldn’t dump him. But he much preferred she actually liked him as opposed to living a life of misery with his spouse.

* * *

Ignis took his seat at the table. Regis was at the head of the table, naturally. Clarus was at his right. The shield always sat to the right if invited to the dinner table. Otherwise he would be standing behind him. Regis wanted them all dining together tonight. Slightly less formal. To his left was Ignis. Noct headed the other end of the table, with Gladio at his right and Luna at his left. Bernard would be between Clarus and Luna. It was an odd change for Ignis. He always sat to Noct’s left. Now Luna had that honor. Though, Ignis was now at the King’s left. What was truly a higher honor paled to being next to his best friend. He didn’t let that minor detail occupy his mind long, however. He had someone else occupying it.

Everyone sat, waiting on Y/N’s return. The serving staff knew to wait until the table was fully sat before entering the dining hall. Each corner of the room was occupied as well. Cor and Drautos took the two corners of the room on the same side of the wall as the double doors leading into it. On the opposite corners, Monica and Crowe would stand when they returned.

The silence didn’t last long. Luna filled it catching up with Noctis and Regis. Even Gladio and Ignis chimed in every once in a while. They were both familiar with Noct’s childhood friend, as well as Clarus. It was nice to see her again. Her femininity added a sort of charm to the table the men weren’t used to having around. The kingdom of Lucis was a very masculine nation fueled on alpha male testosterone. And even though Luna would be soon adorning the dark Lucian colors, her white wardrobe seemed a bright light among them.

Clarus kept glancing back to the door, both out of habit and wondering where their other two guests were. He didn’t distrust them outright, but couldn’t help but naturally be leery of two strangers wondering the Citadel with only two female guards with them. They were two of the best female guards, but he was still a bit on edge regardless.

“Relax Clarus,” he heard his king instruct him quietly. “Her anger is not with our kingdom. If anything it is more so with her own for handing her over. She seems highly incapable of doing anything we can’t handle.”

“And her guest?” Clarus challenged. 

“Hardly a body guard. More a babysitter, if anything. Cor looked into him pretty extensively. He has combat training for emergencies, but nothing on par with our own. You know Altissia. They hate fighting.”

Ignis heard the exchanging of words next to him. He directed his attention to Noct’s end of the table, pretending to be involved in their conversation. He couldn’t help but listen in to the King and his shield speaking. So this Bernard fellow wasn’t the bodyguard he assumed. He would need to keep that in mind. Her safety was important to him and he wasn’t about to trust her alone simply in the hands of a “babysitter” as the king had put it. It still worried him to hear of her being so angry. It made him nervous to possibly worsen her anger. Angry people were a delicate thing to handle.

Finally the double doors creaked open, revealing the four people everyone had been waiting on. Y/N entered the room but stopped a moment looking at the two open seats.

“Ah! We are glad to see you again! Please, have a seat and our salads will be right out!” Regis greeted her as Monica and Crowe took their places in the corners of the room.

Ignis stood and pulled out the chair beside him, hoping she would take it as a sign to sit by him. It only seemed the right place for her to sit, but maybe she wasn’t comfortable being so near him yet. He truly had no idea how to approach this. He wanted to let her know he was available to her and would be beside her whenever she wished it. But he also didn’t want to seem some creep she hardly knew always right next to her.

As she approached the table to sit down, Clarus and Gladio stood respectfully until she was seated. She tucked her dress and went to sit as Ignis pushed her chair in. Everyone else sat as well and Ignis smiled lightly as he looked over at her. His smiled faltered a moment when he noticed her reddened eyes. She had been crying. He couldn’t help the light stab in his chest wondering if he had a part in her sadness. It wasn’t in his nature to just brush something off, so simply assuming she missed her home wasn’t easy for him. He couldn’t help but worry he wasn’t enough for her. That she saw him and regretted coming. He kept trying to remind himself it was simply their first meeting and he had time to convince her that he was worthy of her hand.

His worry lessened a bit as his mind melted to the sweet scent radiating off of her. She smelled of coconuts and sea salt. Coming from a city on the sea, it only made sense. The scent was alluring and such a stark contrast to the harsh scents of the city he lived in. He could also make out more of her features sitting so close to her. Her green eyes were a deep emerald, almost olive colored. Light freckles dusted her cheeks and nose. She tucked her hair behind her ear and he noticed a diamond stud adorning her ear lobe.

The action opened up her peripheral vision and she noticed his staring and turned to look at him with her brows furrowed. Ignis quickly cleared his throat and turned back to his plate as his salad was placed in front of him.

Gladio wasn’t sure which was more entertaining; Noctis making a fool of himself in front of Luna being completely clueless how to act in front of a girl, or Ignis looking like a love sick puppy being completely clueless hot to act in front of a girl. He shared a smirk with his father every so often. Normally he would be giving Noct a load of shit, teasing him to the ends of Eos for how he was acting, but was instructed by his father to keep his mouth shut. He could tell it was just as hard for his father to do, though. Both men had similar senses of humor and often teased their friends. Gladio even wanted to pick on Ignis a bit but knew it would mortify his friend. Ignis could ignore a lot of shit talking and take it with a grain of salt usually, but had been very sensitive when it came to the topic of Y/N. Gladio teased him every so often and joked with him the last couple weeks about her and every time Ignis would get very defensive. Gladio just kept shoveling food in his mouth to keep it occupied.

As their salad plates were cleared and a soup was brought out next, Ignis couldn’t help but notice she simply moved the lettuce around with her fork. Her plate seemed to still be as full as when it was placed in front of her. Maybe she was like Noct and hated vegetables. He heard Noct’s protests the moment the salad had been placed in front of him and had rolled his eyes at his ghastly behavior. He was about to whine all over again when his squash soup was set down in front of him. Ignis glanced over at Y/N after a few moments and noticed her simply stirring her spoon around the bowl. He felt the need to say something to her. Conversation thus far was dominantly between Regis, Noctis, and Luna. Gladio was unusually quiet, as was Clarus. He noticed the looks the father and son shared every so often and wondered what they were silently communicating.

“Are there any sort of Altissian delicacies you favor?” Ignis asked, looking over at Y/N. it seemed to take her a minute to realize he was speaking to her. The whole table seemed to be looking at her now. Ignis almost regretted asking the question and putting the spotlight on her. She seemed a deer caught in headlights.

“Well, we eat a lot of pastas in Altissia. One would think a lot of fish dishes are popular, but not as much as you think. What fish we do eat is hard to find elsewhere I’ve heard. It can only be caught in our waters. Fine Caviar Canape is probably my favorite. Or Lasagna,” she quietly answered.

It was Bernard’s turn to feel the need to chuckle and tease the girl he knew so well. He was used to Y/N being very loud and outspoken. Sure, she knew how to rein it in and show proper manners when needed. But the majority of the time she was in a heated discussion with her mother or fighting with her brother. She was quite known as the castle brat. Bernard knew her well enough to know a lot of it was stress and anxiety and unhealthy coping mechanisms. She wasn’t a bad kid. But it was still so odd to see her so quiet. 

“I regret to inform you we aren’t having pasta tonight,” Regis commented. “But those dishes sound delicious. I recall having Altissia’s lasagna many years ago.”

“I shall have to look up their recipes and attempt them some day,” Ignis smiled at her.

Y/N furrowed her brows a bit confused. She knew he was technically staff but…was he cooking staff? Was she honestly marrying the Citadel Chef?

“Specs is a great cook!” Noctis informed her.

“Specs?” she questioned quietly.

“It’s the nickname Noct gave Iggy,” Gladio told her.

She still seemed a bit confused.

“These are all nicknames these boys have given the man to your right,” Clarus cleared up for her.

It suddenly seemed to dawn on her why each nickname made sense. She was still confused about him cooking, however.

“So…you cook here?” she asked carefully.

“Not so much here in the Citadel, no. I used to borrow the kitchen once in a while when Noct was craving something. I cooked mainly for Noct at his apartment.” Ignis informed her.

“Ignis is not a hired Chef,” Regis felt the need to chime in when he saw the look of horror on Y/N’s face. “He simply took up cooking as a way to pamper and spoil my son when he refused to eat what was served to him. And then later when he moved out to make sure he ate more than pizza and take out.”

“Hey!” Noct argued.

“So, you don’t live here?” Y/N asked the prince.

“I do now. I lived at my own apartment the last year or so, though.”

“You moved out…on your own accord?” The tone of Y/N’s voice made everyone aware of how bizarre she was finding this information.

“Practically begged me to move out,” Regis answered for him.

“I didn’t beg!”

“Okay then, whined!” Regis joked. “I wanted my son to live as normal of a life as he could. I know what being raised in a royal castle is like. He wanted to blend in, not stick out. So I reluctantly let him.”

“I see…” Y/N quietly responded. She almost couldn’t imagine living on her own somewhere like a regular teenager.

The servers came back through taking their soup bowls. Y/N’s was still full. Ignis was really hoping it was just because the food was new to her or she was tired from traveling. His mind was also racing to her response to Noct living outside of the Citadel walls. She seemed almost appalled. Did that mean she would be equally appalled to finding out that very apartment was soon to be her home?

A decadent dish of roasted chicken, asparagus, and rosemary potatoes was placed in front of them. Ignis seemed to perk up a bit when he noticed her picking up her knife and fork to cut into her chicken. She must have simply not been a soup or salad person.

“Finally! Something I can eat!” Noct declared from the end of the table.

“A grown adult still incapable of eating vegetables,” Regis commented. 

“Being an adult doesn’t mean I have to suddenly eat crap!” Noctis responded to his father.

There was silence for a few moments as everyone seemed to dig into their plates. Y/N was still slowly cutting her meal into small pieces. Maybe she was OCD or something and needed everything cut first or to be bite sized. Ignis was trying not to think too hard on it.

“So Bernard,” Regis began. “Tell us a bit about yourself.”

“Not much of interest, I’m afraid,” he began. “I was born and raised in Altissia. My family worked in the castle for generations. It only felt natural to do the same. I’ve known Y/N since she was born and have been by her side for years.”

“Anything beyond your work? Hobbies? Interests?” Regis pushed for a bit more. He was simply trying to make conversation and get to know the man. Regis wasn’t naturally formal and wanted him to be comfortable while he was here.

“I like watching movies. Preferably action thrillers and horror films. I also put together and paint model train cars in my spare time.”

“Very interesting! Clarus here simply knits!” Regis joked with a straight face.

“Working on knitting you muzzle as we speak,” Clarus responded taking a bite of his chicken and glaring at his friend.

Cor could be heard in the corner coughing into his hand and turning his head down a moment to school his face.

“Any particular hobby that interests you, Y/N” Regis asked.

Ignis turned to her, his full attention focused. He wished so badly to know this answer. To know what she liked to do. What made her excited about life.

“I like movies, I suppose,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

When she didn’t seem to elaborate any further, Bernard spoke up on her behalf.

“You are an amazing artist,” the man across from her said.

“Really?” Regis asked, looking pleasantly surprised.

“No!” she exclaimed, turning a light shade of pink in embarrassment. “I….draw every so often. That’s all. Hardly call myself an artist.”

“These people would argue that if they saw your drawings like I have.”

“Please, Bernie! They are just pencil doodles. Nothing special.”

“They are special if you enjoy making them,” Ignis commented.

Y/N simply looked at him, a bit surprised at his comment. Ignis was happy to find out something new about her. He wanted nothing more than to see some of her sketches. What did she draw, he wondered? People? Animals? Nature? He wanted to ask her further but she seemed opposed to discussing the topic. Maybe some time in private she would open up more to him about it.

The table filled with conversation as Ignis found himself daydreaming about Y/N sketching. Framing her beautiful artwork to hang on their walls. Maybe hanging something in the large library at the Citadel, even.

When plates were cleared and dessert came, Ignis glanced at Y/N’s plate to notice she once again spent all her time cutting everything and pushing it around. This had to be more than her not liking the food. Sure she mentioned fish and pasta earlier, but surely she wouldn’t have spent the time cutting it if she had no intention of eating it. Dessert was a decadent chocolate cake. This she flat out refused, claiming she was too full for dessert. That, Ignis knew, was not the truth.

* * *

When dessert was officially over and all plates and glasses were cleared, Regis stood from the table.

“Well, everyone, I assume our company wishes to retire to their rooms for the remainder of the evening. The day’s travels have worn you out, I am sure. Ladies, you both have personal rooms here at the Citadel until your wedding days. Luna, Crowe will kindly escort you to your room, along with Noctis,” he said, eyeing his son as a way of telling him to properly walk his lady to her door. “Y/N, Monica and Ignis will both escort you to your room. It was very nice meeting you! I do hope you have a good night’s rest.” With that, Clarus rose from his seat and followed his King out of the doors into the hall.

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat more with you boys. It’s been too long. But as the King mentioned, I’m pretty tired. It was good to see you Ignis! We should catch up more sometime!” she beamed at him.

“Of course!” Ignis replied. “That would be lovely.”

Y/N couldn’t help the sneer that went across her face. Luna should be focused on Noctis, not Ignis. Y/N already felt so out of place and underwhelming next to Luna. Everyone’s attention seemed to just flock to her. The entire meal felt like it revolved around her and how good she looked and how great it was to see her and how she had been. Y/N couldn’t help the jealousy. Who’s idea was it to put two brides to be together to plan their weddings a month apart? That was clearly asking for trouble.

Luna rose from the table with Noctis and Gladio at her side. Crowe lead the way out of the room, leaving Ignis, Y/N, and Bernard. As Y/N rose from her seat, with the help of Ignis, something dawned on her.

“Um…Monica was it?” she asked the dark haired woman standing near her.

“Yes, ma’am,” she said, bowing slightly.

“Am I to assume Bernard is sharing my room or….”

“Oh! No, ma’am! He is in the room right next to yours so he is nearby.”

“Oh, okay thank you,” she sighed in relief.

Ignis seemed unsure of what to do with his hands. Y/N didn’t want to give him the chance to offer his arm or something to her. She wasn’t there yet. It was awkward enough sitting beside him all through dinner. She quickly started towards the doors, and Monica took the lead. Ignis caught up beside her and Bernard followed.

Ignis seemed to keep his hands linked behind his back as they walked through the vast halls of the Citadel. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far from the dining hall. It only made sense to have rooms nearby. When they finally reached a dark wooden door with a red number 13 on it, Monica turned to her.

“This is your room, miss. Bernard, your room is number fourteen. Here are your room keys. Do you need anything before I depart?”

“Um, there is a bathroom in the room, correct?” Y/N asked.

“Yes, of course. You don’t have to use the public restroom. You have a private bathroom with a toilet, shower stall, and garden tub. There is no kitchenette, however, but the kitchen staff is on hand to serve you whenever you wish.”

“Thank you, Monica,” Y/N told her.

Monica bowed slightly and walked off down the hall. Bernard decided he would take his leave as well and walked to his door with a quickly muttered “goodnight”. That left Y/N alone with Ignis in the hallway. Not the ideal situation in her mind. She had no idea what this man would do. Would he be a creep and try and kiss her or something? Would he want to come in? Would they have that awkward goodnight like teenagers do on first dates? To avoid any of that, Y/N decided to enter her room as quickly as possible.

“It was nice meeting you, Ignis. Have a great night,” she quickly said as she opened her door and stepped inside.

When she entered, she locked the door and turned on the light. Her luggage was sitting just inside the room, along with her many boxes. She forgot all about needing to unpack. How much did she unpack though? She would be moving out of this room in just a few short weeks. That wasn’t a thought that occupied her mind for long though. She walked over to the large red and black bed. It had four beautifully crafted wooden posts. She practically flung herself onto the bed and started weeping into her arms. Everything was suddenly hitting her. This was it. She wouldn’t be going back home. Her old life was officially gone. Everything about this place was so different from where she came from. She wished she was able to at least taste dinner, but she feared throwing up. Her stomach was in tight knots bringing bile to the back of her throat all through dinner. She barely paid attention to conversation. Her mind was swirling a mile a minute. She felt dizzy and disoriented all evening. She hated herself and her stupid life! She hated this stupid ass city. She hated the people here. She hated her fiancé…

Well…that was possibly a lie. Ignis was…different. He at least had manners, unlike Noctis. That boy was a straight slob and an animal. Her mother was right. She didn’t want to marry Prince Noctis. Ignis didn’t get her flowers though. It made her feel like he didn’t even think about her arrival. He didn’t care to give her a gift welcoming her to the new and different land.

He did smell wonderful though. Whatever cologne he used was expensive and woody and fit him very well. He seemed sophisticated and smart. She only hoped he didn’t have a damn stick up his ass, though. She caught him staring at her a lot through dinner. She almost snapped at him to take a picture a few times, but held back.

It didn’t help she was also seated right next to Gladio. He was as handsome in person as he was in pictures. Ignis wasn’t ugly. But her heart didn’t stop when she saw him. He at least dressed well for her. Noctis was wearing what looked like a t-shirt and jeans. She felt so incredibly overdressed. Everyone here seemed to be dressed so casually. Ignis didn’t even seem to fit in with them. That’s how she knew he probably dressed up for dinner. At least he put some kind of thought into it.

Y/N continued to just lay in bed. She should have probably gotten a bath or at least a shower to wash the day’s sweat off. She had been traveling all day and needed to freshen up. All her excuses of “freshening up” today had been excuses to escape for a moment. She continued to lay in bed crying. Every so often, a particular thought would cause her to cry harder. Her throat was getting raw and her make-up was smeared down her cheeks. She didn’t care right now. She didn’t even properly crawl into bed.

Eventually all her crying wore her out, on top of almost zero sleep last night, and she fell asleep in her dress on top of the bed covers. Her first night here and she already cried herself to sleep. This was bound to be a common occurrence. She only hoped something would save her from her fate. She wasn’t sure she would ever find a way to be happy here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a reader insert, but I’m not typically a fan of the “y/h/c” “y/e/c” for hair and eye color and such. I do give her a description so maybe it’s more of an OC fic. But I still would rather read Y/N than a name of a character made up lol It’s just my personal preference and I’m sorry if it annoys anyone. Her red curly hair is often brought up in this fic and I only hope it doesn’t bother you too much when reading. 
> 
> I also did a bit of “head jumping” in the first part of this fic. I really wanted to get both of their feelings and thoughts across without having to rewrite that part of the chapter from each point of view. I hope that doesn’t bother anyone too much either. I want to keep it to one person’s view at a time predominantly. It’s just challenging when they both have such different emotions and thoughts about everything going on. And right now they are mostly in their heads. Conversation isn’t flowing between them yet. 
> 
> You all continue to be amazing and I love you for it!!! Each kudo and comment makes me day more than you know!


	6. Chapter 5

A loud knocking sound woke Y/N from her sleep. She picked her head up and opened her eyes, looking around. Her eyes seemed to feel almost glued shut and felt really crusty and sticky. She brought her fingers to her eyes to try and wipe them and noticed they came away from her face black. Great. She slept in her make-up. She tried looking around a bit more and was having trouble placing where she was. She was sideways in a bed she didn’t recognize and wearing one of her elaborate traditional gowns. Did she get drunk at a gala last night? It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to sneak alcohol at the events her mother put on.

A glance to her left answered her questions. The stack of boxes and suitcases reminded her of where she was and what had happened last night. Her raw throat wasn’t from the burn of alcohol…it was from crying. Another knock startled her. She was the furthest from presentable. She wasn’t even sure who was on the other side of the door. Eos forbid it be the King or Ignis. None of them could see her like this.

“Princess Y/N?...” an unfamiliar voice sounded through the door. She knew it wasn’t Ignis. He had a distinct Altissian accent. Funny, she was told he was born here but he still managed to have an accent. It wasn’t the King or any other person she remembered meeting last night.

She stood up and hesitantly made her way to the door, unsure of what she should do.

“Um…yes?” she asked through the door, still not daring to open it.

“I have a delivery for you Miss,” the voice replied.

A delivery? Did she forget a box at home or something? Did LeAnn send something? She wasn’t expecting anything. It was literally only her first day here.

“Umm…okay. I’m going to unlock the door and go into the bathroom. You can just bring it in for me…?” she trailed off at the end. She really didn’t want anyone seeing her in this state. Not even some random delivery mailman.

“Of course Miss. As you wish.”

“Okay. Just, give me a minute to get into the bathroom before you come in,” she said as she unlocked the door with a click and dashed into the bathroom.

With her back against the door, she glanced over at the mirror to her right. Wow. She was a hell of a sight. Mascara and eyeliner was all down her cheeks. She was really glad she didn’t open the door now. She walked over to the sink and ran the water, hoping to wash her face a bit. She looked around and found a neatly folded wash cloth and bar of soap. She never used bar soap on her face, but these were desperate times. She had no idea which box was her toiletries and wanted to at least clean up a bit before she went looking.

As she was vigorously scrubbing the stubborn makeup from her face, she could here multiple feet going in and out of her room on the other side of the wall. What kind of delivery was this that it required multiple people and multiple trips?

When she was done cleaning her face the best she could without makeup remover, she went about removing the many layers of her gown, starting with the corset top. It was a bit harder to do on her own. She was used to the ladies in waiting at the castle helping her untie and unbuckle every piece of the multi-layered outfit she had on. A few times she got frustrated and just pulled the clothing item off her body as best she could. She definitely wouldn’t be able to wear a traditional gown today. There was no one to help her in it that she was aware of. Too bad her mother didn’t send one of her ladies with her to the Citadel instead of Bernard. She’d have to wear a slightly smaller gown today that zipped instead and forgo the corset.

Not something she was entirely comfortable with around people she didn’t know. Her shape was something she was very self-conscious about. The corset gave her the security and illusion of a taunt stomach and slim waist shape. She wasn’t fat by any means. But she was what she would call…soft. At least she would have dress’ long skirt to hide her wide hips and thicker thighs.

A light rapping on the bathroom door startled her out of her musings.

“We are all done Miss. Have a great day!” the same voice from earlier informed her.

“T-thank you!” she stuttered a bit. When she heard the door shut, she ventured back into her room. But before she made it too far in, she stopped in her tracks.

On almost every surface throughout her room were multiple vases full of large bouquets of flowers. The dresser, the night stands, the small corner tables. She counted eight vases, each containing a different color and type of flower. Some were flowers she had never seen before. A large white envelope next to the vase closest to the door caught her eye. Her name was written on the outside in beautiful handwriting she didn’t recognize. She carefully opened the envelope and took out the note inside.

_Princess Y/N,_

_A thousand apologies for not greeting you properly yesterday upon your arrival. My head was swimming with all the possible ways I would feel upon seeing your face, and none of them compared to the real thing. My nerves must have caused the gift I wished to give you to slip my mind. I hope you weren’t terribly offended at my empty hands that greeted you. I’m not sure what your favorite flower is, so I got you flowers from every corner of Eos, hoping at least one is pleasing to you. I had a lovely dinner with you last night. I only wish I could have gotten to know you more. Maybe without the pressure of other eyes watching, we can soon get some time together to do just that. I hope you slept well and look forward to our next meeting._

_Your’s,_

_Ignis Sciencia_

Y/N wasn’t sure what to do. She read the letter again. No boy had ever gotten her flowers, let alone ones from all over the world. As much as she wanted to smile and appreciate the gift, she couldn’t help but wonder if he did this cause he saw her disappointment at seeing Luna get flowers and she didn’t. Even that animal Noctis got his woman flowers. He also wasn’t very talkative at dinner. For wanting to get to know her, he didn’t say much. _He sure talked to Luna though_ , she thought rolling her eyes.

She glanced at her boxes and suitcases and let out a long sigh. She really needed to at least go through some of her stuff and find something to wear today. She glances at the ticking clock on the wall above the dresser and noticed it was around eight in the morning. She had no idea when breakfast was served around here. She should try and get ready as soon as possible. She would worry about putting her things away later. Maybe she should call Bernard and see if he was up and moving yet.

She walked over to her purse sitting beside her largest suitcase and dug out her phone from inside. She hadn’t charged it since yesterday morning when she packed up her charger. The boat didn’t have any electricity and she didn’t have much of a moment to find an outlet any other time. Plus her mind was too preoccupied to think about being on her phone. She noticed it barely had a few bars of life left. She also noticed the many notifications she had. Deciding to plug it before answering everyone, she dug her charger out of her purse and looked around for an outlet, preferably by the bed so she could lay down.

Phone plugged in, she laid on her stomach in her underwear and opened her messages. Her mother of course wanted to know how the trip went. She would call her later. She didn’t feel like making nice right now with her. A few random texts from some friends she had. All wishing her well and telling her to send them gifts. _Mooches!_ She rolled her eyes at them before opening her conversation with LeAnn, her best friend. A slew of messages were sent all day long it had seemed. They ranged from sad crying emojis, to sexual innuendos about her wedding night, to texts begging her to jump ship and swim back home, to random comments throughout the day she knew were sent by her friend to keep her from being upset. She was so worried Y/N would stop being her friend after she moved away and felt the need to constantly be in contact with her. Instead of texting back, she decided to call. Screw the time difference.

“Fuck off, who is this?” a groggy voice croaked through the line.

“My first call to you from a distant land and this is how you greet me?” Y/N teased.

“ASTRALS WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” her friend shouted, suddenly sounding very awake.

“Sorry, no service in the middle of the ocean and I was too much of a wreck on the car ride here.”

“Whatever! No worries! Tell me everything!!” her friend pushed.

“Nothing to tell, honestly,” Y/N sighed.

“What?! No way! It’s a completely different country with people you’ve never met. One of which is your FIANCE! Give me something here! Let’s start simple. How is Lucis? What’s it like?”

“Dry and hot. Like scorching hot!” Y/N complained.

“Ew, really?”

“It’s a literal desert here! I don’t even think I saw grass!”

“I know they have grass somewhere! I’ve seen pictures,” her friend argued.

“Well, I didn’t see any on the way over here! I think there’s some in the park or something, maybe. Insomnia is a lot different than every place I passed on the way here.”

“How so?”

“It’s so…big. And there are buildings everywhere. All made out of metal and steel and glass. And roads with so many cars on them. Multi-laned roads and vast highways and traffic everywhere. Everything is grey and black and…black. It’s so dark looking here.”

“What’s the Citadel like?”

“Big. That’s honestly all I can say. Big. I didn’t take any time to look at it much. It’s huge from the outside. The halls are wide and long and I have no idea what wing I‘m even possibly in right now. We seriously arrived, had dinner, and I went right to my room, where I cried myself to sleep.”

“So dramatic!” her friend giggled through the phone. Y/N knew her friend wasn’t the codling type, so her response wasn’t meant to be offensive. More teasing. “It couldn’t have been that bad! What about Ignis? Tell me ALL about him.”

“He’s tall. A fucking string bean,” she paused hearing her friend snort. “I’m serious! He’s as big a round as my wrist! I’m gonna look like a cow next to him with these thunder thighs!”

“You hide your body under those elaborate dresses you always wear! I’m sure nobody will notice your thighs!”

“He will! When he sees me without the dresses!”

“Sooo…thinking about him naked already, eh?” her friend cooed.

“That’s not…urgh, no!”

“That bad then, eh?”

“No, he wasn’t…bad per se. Just…I don’t know. He didn’t say much at dinner. It was quite awkward.”

“So what else? Tell me more about him!” her friend pushed.

“I don’t know what else to say. Like I said, he didn’t say much. He shook my hand which was…weird. I think it was a flub though. The size of his eyes after he did it was almost comical. He also forgot flowers!”

“Were you expecting flowers?” her friend asked, skeptically.

“Well, not exactly. But Luna got flowers. Thought maybe if that brain dead Prince could remember them, he would.”

“Brain dead Prince?” her friend laughed.

“Oh my Astrals, LeAnn! You have no idea! You would never guess this guy was a prince! Zero manners, zero tack or couth. What Luna is so head over heels about, I’m not certain. Speaking of her, they all just LOVE her. It’s sickening. They doted on her left and right. I felt like I was interrupting a family reunion.”

“What does the Prince even look like? No one really knows!”

“Short. Black hair. Like some emo teenage high school boy off the streets. He wore fucking jeans to dinner last night!”

“Seriously?” LeAnn asked.

“And he was living in some apartment across the city. I’m telling you, everything is so bizarre here!”

“So what’s the deal with everyone loving that Luna chick?”

“Other than the fact she’s sweet and bubbly and skinny and perfect? Get this! She’s known Prince Noctis since they were kids! They are literal childhood sweethearts! Hence the reason everyone couldn’t stop giving her all their attention. She’s apparently been missed around here,” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Oh so you’re REALLY out of place then!”

“You have no idea!”

“So what you need to do is really click with Ignis and the two of you show up the Prince and this Luna chick and become the power couple of the Citadel!”

“I’m sure that will happen!” she spat sarcastically and rolled her eyes again. They were gonna stay in the back of her head if she did it much more.

“He can’t be that bad! All you’ve told me about him is that he’s skinny.”

“Like I said, he didn’t say much. It’s weird though, he has a slight Altissian accent! He wasn’t even born there! He seems a bit stiff. And speaking of stiff, his hair that does the flippy thing in the front doesn’t look stiff and gel logged like you would think! I have no idea how he stands it up like that and still gets it to look so soft.”

“So he’s a tall, skinny, hand shaking, flower forgetting nerd with an accent…interesting.”

“He at least tried to make up for the flower thing this morning-“

“How so?” her friend interrupted.

“By having I think one of every flower found on the plant delivered to my room this morning with a note apologizing.”

“Oh come on, Y/N! That’s sweet!”

“It’s an afterthought!” Y/N argued.

“But still a thought!”

This caused Y/N to pause. She really didn’t want to see these flowers as anything more than an overzealous attempt at making up for being an absent minded dufus.

“Whatever. What would he have done if I were allergic?”

“Then he would have felt equally bad if he handed them to you when you got there and you started sneezing in his face.”

“Urgh, stop trying to make this sound good! It’s not good. Nothing here is good! I cried myself to sleep last night. I’m probably gonna do it again tonight! And I don’t want to be here!” Y/N retorted. She could start to feel fresh tears well up in her eyes during her short outburst. “I have to go. I need to see if I missed breakfast or not.”

“Don’t go cause you’re mad at me!” LeAnn begged.

“I’m not. And I’m not mad at you. I just miss you,” Y/N quietly told her friend.

“I miss you too! You better call me tonight before bed! I’m making sure you go to bed with dry eyes! Promise!” her friend sweetly told her.

“Thanks. I’ll call you later. My phone has to charge so I probably won’t have it on me for a while.”

“Okay. I’ll try not to bug you too much. DON’T FORGET TO CALL ME!”

“I won’t! Now go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you.”

“You’re lucky I love ya! Bye babe!”

“Bye,” Y/N whispered before hanging up.

Talking to her friend made her feel a little better, but not for long. Reality smacked her in the face the moment she hung up the phone. At least while talking to her friend she could pretend she wasn’t where she was right now.

She stood up and looked at the boxes in front of her. Time to start digging and find something to wear. She could also really use a shower.

* * *

Ignis was sitting at his desk typing when Gladio walked in the pristine office. The large man gave his friend an odd look before slowly walking over to the dark wooden desk.

“What ya up to, Iggy?” Gladio asked.

“Just getting some reports done.”

“Those wouldn’t happen to be the reports Noct was supposed to have gotten done…are they?”

“He still doesn’t seem to quite have the hang of it yet. Plus he’s out with Luna today. King Regis invited the two of them out to the gardens to reacquaint.”

“Yeah…speaking of fiancés, uh, where’s yours?” Gladio asked, picking up a trinket that was sitting on the corner of his desk and toying with it.

“I’m not quite certain,” Ignis replied, still typing away on his keyboard.

“You haven’t seen her yet?” Gladio asked. It was quickly approaching noon and he figured Ignis would have greeted her with breakfast in bed.

“No, Gladio, I have not. She wasn’t at breakfast this morning and I haven’t heard from her.”

“You didn’t give her your cell number or anything?”

Ignis stopped typing and stared at his fingers for a moment. He maybe should have included his cell number in the note he gave her with the delivery this morning. Why didn’t he think to do that? He wanted to give it to her last night but she went into her room before he had the chance to offer it to her. Gladio’s laughter brought him out of his musings.

“Iggy, that’s like one of the first things you do with a girl, is give her your number!”

“I haven’t yet had the chance,” Ignis adjusted his glasses and went back to typing.

“What the hell did you guys do last night when you walked her to her room? Did ya kiss her?” he asked, raising and lowering his eyebrows.

“No Gladio, I did not,” Ignis sighed.

“Yeah, kinda figured. Did she stand there awkwardly though? Fiddle with her hands or hair and look around a bit? Did you notice her looking more at your lips than your eyes?”

“What does any of that matter?”

“It’s all signd she was waiting on you to kiss her! She was too afraid to make the move herself!”

Ignis filed the information away to possibly use later.

“No, she did none of that. I walked her to her room and she simply went to bed.”

“Oh, I forgot that old butler man was with her-“

“Bernard,” Ignis corrected. “He’s supposedly a body guard but from what I hear, he’s hardly qualified as such.”

“Yeah my dad is all in a twist about him. Physically he says we have nothing to worry about though.”

“As I’ve heard.”

“So was he like, dampening the mood or something?”

“No, he retired to his room right away. Again, hardly a body guard to leave her out with a stranger in the hallway.”

“He was probably watching through the peephole or something,” Gladio shrugged. “So she just like, went into her room? Not even a goodnight?”

“The guest rooms don’t have peepholes. And she wished me a goodnight, yes. It was simple. Nothing to fuss over. Not sure why you even care to begin with,” Ignis side glanced at his friend for a moment.

“Hey, you don’t think she got lost this morning or anything, do you? I mean, this place is huge! We’ve all gotten lost a time or two.”

Ignis once again stopped typing. What if she had ventured to breakfast and took a wrong turn? She could be anywhere and unsure of who to ask for help. He really should have given her his phone number in the letter he wrote. Or maybe she hated the flowers and was just avoiding him. He should have kept it simple. Just picked out an Altissian bouquet that she would be sure to like. He should maybe go check on her. See if she would like escorted to lunch. Hopefully she would be in her room. Clicking a few times to shut down his computer, he rose from his chair.

“Bernard would probably have been with her. I’m sure she’s not wandering the halls as we speak. But, speaking of her, I’m going to go pay her a visit and see if she is hungry for lunch.”

“That a boy, Iggy! You gonna cook for her?” Gladio got excited, putting the trinket back down on the desk.

“No, not yet. I would first like to get to know her a bit and see what she likes and doesn’t like.”

“Doesn’t she like pasta, or whatever? I thought she said that last night? Or were you too busy staring at her to hear her?” Gladio chuckled.

“No, Gladiolus. I heard her. I believe I was the one who asked her what she liked,” Ignis replied, tidying up some of the papers on his desk before pushing in his chair. “And pasta is a bit vague. There are many types of pasta dishes. I first need to learn her particular tastes to cater the past dish to her liking.”

“Want me to go with you? Help ya out a bit?” Gladio asked, suggestively.

“Please don’t Gladio,” Ignis sighed.

“Alright! But remember…I’m here if ya need me!” his friend called to him as he walked down the hall.

Ignis made his way to where the single rooms were for guests to stay. Few staff members used them as well. There was a staff eating quarters off the kitchen and some people just stayed right there in the Citadel. Usually the glaives, younger single workers, or widowed elderly workers. He hoped she was in her room. He was sure if she truly was lost, someone would have spotted her and helped her by now. Unless of course, she was exploring on her own. That was entirely a possibility. He would probably be getting to know his new home on his first full day in it.

As he rounded the corner, he could feel his stomach tying up a bit. He was still so nervous to be around her. He knew this was such a delicate situation and any wrong move could ruin everything. She didn’t have the authority to refuse the union, but she could run off or, Astrals forbid, attempt to harm herself and demand to be returned home. Or she could live completely miserable with him. That was one of his worst fears. That she would never learn to love him. Especially when he had already fallen so hard for her.

As he approached her door, he rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants before raising his hand to knock. He stood a moment, hearing her rustling around on the other side. When the door opened, her beautiful face greeted him. She was wearing a gorgeous blue gown that went to the floor. It wasn’t as elaborate or full as her dress yesterday, but still looked stunning on her. Her hair was pulled back in a bun on her head.

“Yes?” she asked, unsure of why he was there.

“Good afternoon, Princess Y/N. I missed seeing you at breakfast this morning,” he greeted.

“Yeah, I slept in. Apparently breakfast was over by the time I made it to the dining hall.”

Ignis suddenly feared she hadn’t eaten, afraid that once the meal was served she assumed she was too late.

“Did you not eat anything this morning?” he asked, concerned.

“No, I got something small. A staff member saw me wandering in and asked if I wanted anything.”

“Oh, good. You are free to eat whenever you wish. The staff is always on hand to make you something. However, the King and Prince are seated at the table by seven in the morning if you ever wish to join us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she responded, still standing with the door only half open. “Did you need something specific or…”

“Yes! Of course,” Ignis coughed into his hand out of nervousness. “I came to see if you wished to be escorted to lunch. The King and Prince sit at noon. You are more than welcome to join us.”

“You keep saying ‘us’. Do you always eat with them too, or is there some kind of special group that does…”

“I always accompany Prince Noctis to his meals, yes. He has always asked it of me. Other than that, it’s just the King, his shield, and the Prince’s shield. Luna will also be joining us now, of course. If anyone else happens to join us for special occasions, more security may be in the room. But you are more than welcome to with your standing. You are a member of the royal court-“

“Not for long,” Y/N tsked, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

“You hold a higher standing here than you assume, I am sure, Princess Y/N,” Ignis assured her.

“I think I’m just going to stay in my room. I have a lot of stuff to put away.”

“Yes, of course!” Ignis almost forgot about all of the unpacking she was sure to have to do. “Would you like me to bring you something back?”

“No, I’ll probably order something later. I’m kind of on a roll right now and don’t want to lose momentum.”

“Certainly. Well, I will leave you to it then,” Ignis bowed.

“Thanks,” Y/N said before shutting the door.

Ignis was a bit surprised at how blunt and short she was, but knew she was still dealing with a lot of emotions and chose not to dwell on it. As he started to walk away he realized he once again forgot to give her his cell number. He didn’t dare bother her again though. He would just have to wait until dinner.

She also didn’t bring up the flowers. He did send them to the right place, right? Her door number was the same as what he had given the florist. Maybe she truly didn’t like them. Maybe it was too overwhelming. He really should have just stuck with a singular bouquet. He was trying to think of a way to make it up to her tomorrow. Anything else today would definitely be gift overload.

Maybe Ignis really should get ahold of Gladio. No. His friend would just tell him to buy a box of condoms and chocolates and show up to her doorstep naked. He needed to do some more research. He assumed this would all maybe flow when she got here. That was far from the case so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry everyone for the small delay. I normally like to post by Sunday night, but I was out of town yesterday and didn’t get home till late and it didn’t get posted. So I am sorry if anyone was looking forward to it. 
> 
> Again thank you so much for all the love and support on this fic! I love seeing everyone’s thoughts and emotions and opinions as the story progresses! You all are so amazing to me!


	7. Chapter 6

Y/N was in the bathroom doing her make-up when a knock at her door surprised her. She had woken in time to get ready and meet everyone for breakfast, but still decided against it. Bernard had stopped by her room to see if she needed escorted to the dining hall and she turned him away. It made her feel a little bad. He wasn’t permitted in the dining hall with the King and Prince without her present so he would have to either wait to go eat breakfast after they were done or order in. She would just order something be brought to her room, the same way she did for lunch and dinner yesterday. She didn’t even want to leave her room but still decided to make herself up for anyone who may stop by. Speaking of…who was at her door now?

At least she had both eyes done and was just putting the finishing touches on her face. Otherwise she wouldn’t even answer the door. It would look really odd only having eyeshadow on one eye. She opened it to see what she assumed was a kitchen staff worker standing next to a rolling cart with a large metal dome lid over it.

“Good morning Miss!” the worker bowed. “I have a breakfast delivery for you!”

“Um, I didn’t order breakfast yet…” she responded, confused.

“You are Princess Y/N, correct?”

“Yes…”

“Then yes, this delivery is for you. I believe it was placed on your behalf. Would you like me to return it to the kitchen?”

“Um, no…no that’s fine. Bring it in,” she stepped aside for them to wheel the cart in.

“Here you are. Just phone the kitchen when you are ready to have us retrieve the cart. Enjoy your meal, Miss!” the kitchen staff member bowed once again and left her room.

She closed the door behind him and made her way over to the cart. Who the hell sent her breakfast? Did they assume from yesterday she would never be joining them? She had yet to make up her mind if she ever would in the future. A white envelope was leaned up against the metal dome covering the plate. She took it and opened it reading the letter inside.

**_Princess Y/N,_ **

**_I missed seeing you at breakfast this morning. I hope you are feeling well and not under the weather. I understand your possible reluctance to join the King and Prince, but I assure you that your presence would be welcomed and enjoyed! I hope you don’t mind I took the liberty of sending you breakfast this morning. I still don’t know your favorite tastes, although I wish nothing more than to learn of them. So I sent you a wide variety and you can tell me your favorites. I, myself, love the waffles and bananas. I also realized I never gave you my cell number if you should ever need to get ahold of someone for any reason. If you wish to meet or simply need assistance, please do not hesitate to get ahold of me. I hope to see you soon. Your beauty is missed._ **

**_Ignis Sciencia_ **

**_98-5623-974_ **

_Your beauty is missed?_ The guy barely saw her, what kind of line is that? Y/N wasn’t sure if it was sweet or corny sounding. Well, now she didn’t have to order breakfast. Provided there was something she would eat under the metal covering. She slowly lifted the dome to see what they sent her. It was large enough to cover almost the entire top of the cart so she knew there was either a large plate or multiple plates under it.

She was almost taken back by all the food delivered to her. There was a plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns. Another plate held three pieces of French toast sprinkled in powdered sugar. A third plate held a large waffle. And a smaller plate off to the side held a few pieces of buttered toast. Several small bowls on the cart held various toppings such as dollops of butter, peanut butter, jelly, and about four different fruits. A large pouring vase held syrup. And at the top of the cart were glasses of orange juice, milk, and a mug of coffee with packets of cream and sugar beside it.

Damn. This guy really did go all out trying to figure out what she liked. He could have just asked. Or asked the staff what she ordered yesterday. Although, she only ordered a small bowl of oatmeal. Speaking of which, that seemed to be the only missing aside from cereal.

She decided to bypass the first plate. She liked her eggs cooked differently and wasn’t a fan of bacon or hash browns. Potatoes were too starchy for a morning meal. And bacon was hardly meat, it was all fat. The French toast looked appetizing. She used to eat that for breakfast every Saturday and Sunday morning back home since she was a kid. Her and her father loved weekend breakfast together. She never had waffles often. Her mother was so against foods of other nations and waffles were a Tennabrae staple.

Her mother wanted to keep Altissia as “pure” as possible. That included the food, clothing, people, and especially the royal bloodline. Which surprised her when she found out about the marriage arrangement. The fact that she would be living in another nation sounded preposterous. And marrying someone of another nation, especially her being a royal, was downright blasphemy. She understood a bit more now meeting Ignis. He was, no doubt, full blooded Accordo, with roots in Altissia. Probably the reason her mother agreed. There was always the voice in her head, though, that told her her mother didn’t truly care as much about her as she did her brother. That even if it was some punk Niff who wanted to marry her or a baker off the streets of Lucis, she would still be sent off.

She decided to just eat the fruit and French toast. The rest she left on the cart. She was about to toss the note he wrote her into the bedside drawer with the one from yesterday morning that arrived with the flowers, but paused. She remembered he had left his cell number on it. She honestly didn’t care to have it but thought maybe it would be good to have just in case she ever needed help. If anyone were to help her out it probably would be him. He was starting to come off as the lost puppy type. She quickly programed it in her phone before tossing the letter in the drawer.

Before she could pick out her dress for the day and properly finish getting ready, another knock sounded on her door. Who the hell could this be? She opened the door almost angrily, tired of being bothered so early in the morning. It was another worker of the citadel, based on the attire they were wearing.

“Yes?” she barked out, harsher than she meant to.

“Princess Y/N?” they asked.

“Yes…what do you need?”

“I have a delivery for you, Miss,” the person bowed, handing out the letter for her to take. “A direct message from the King. He requests that you read it as soon as possible as it is time sensitive.”

“Oh…okay. Thank you,” she said, taking the letter.

The delivery man bowed again and took his leave. She stood stunned a moment before shutting the door. What could the King want? She hastily opened the letter, a small knot forming in her stomach.

**_Princess Y/N,_ **

**_I hope this letter finds you well. We have missed seeing you at meal times. I want to let you know you are always welcome to dine with us. Ignis or the kitchen staff could let you know the sitting hours. I am writing to formally request your presence at the Marital Contract and Transfer of Citizenship signing. We will sit before the Royal Court and Council and be presented with the exact terms and conditions of your marriage and transfer of citizenship. You will be required to sign the contract with Bernard and Ignis as your witnesses. Your mother has already signed the pre-agreement paperwork. Failure to attend could result in your arrest and heavy penalties. We look forward to when we next see you and hope you are adjusting well to your new home._ **

**_Best Regards,_ **

**_His Royal Majesty King Regis Lucis Caelum_ **

****

Y/N’s stomach fell to her feet. This was it. The official stripping of her title. The stripping of her citizenship. The binding of her to a stranger. This was more monumental and soul crushing than her wedding. There was no turning back after this. Accordo law prohibits people from denouncing their citizenship and renouncing it later on. She would never be considered a citizen of her home again.

She felt her French toast rising up in her throat, threatening to spill from her mouth. She dropped the letter and quickly ran to the bathroom. She threw herself on the floor in front of the toilet, raised its lid, and emptied her stomach. It didn’t take long before there was nothing left to come up and bile replaced food not even digested yet. Sitting back on her heels to try and catch her breath, she started sobbing and let out a scream. She can’t remember ever feeling this angry and sad at the same time.

This place was her hell.

* * *

“Sup Iggy!” Gladio greeted his friend in the elevator.

“Good morning Gladio,” Ignis greeted back. The two were headed to the same place, no doubt. But where was their Prince? “Where is Noctis?”

“On my way to get him. Stupid brat is taking his good ole time this morning getting ready. He apparently is having issues with his outfit or whatever.”

Ignis couldn’t help but sigh and roll his eyes. He specifically told Noctis not to move the pins he placed in precisely the right places on his jacket. The uniform worn by the prince was far from being as complicated and intricate looking as the King’s. It was simply a pinstripe looking suit. However, he had specific pins and buttons showing his status on the upper left side of the suit jacket.

“I will go with you. Seems I once again need to remind him to stop taking his pins off and playing with them.”

“You been to his place lately?”

“Yes. Every day. Why do you ask?” Ignis asked confused. He was always at Noct’s place. What would be any different?

“Figured with Luna there you wouldn’t be as much.”

“I am still his advisor and meet with him daily.”

“You just meeting with him to go over reports, or you still cooking and cleaning for the little brat?”

Ignis glanced sideways at his friend, not amused with his choice of wording or his assumption that Ignis was his babysitter, as he put it many times before.

“That’s what I thought,” Gladio said, shaking his head. “Shouldn’t you be busy with your own woman? Noct has been going out with Luna all week. It’s a little odd not going as his friend and playing along with him. This body guard stuff feels a bit like a third wheel at times.”

Gladio was required to accompany Noctis every time he left the Citadel, as well as to certain events within the Citadel walls such as meals and work in the throne room where assassins would know to look for him. Inside his own sleeping quarters, he was not needed. Gladio noticed Ignis with them often but assumed he was elsewhere when Noct was just at his own place. It seems that would be a hard habit for his friend to break.

“She’s been keeping to herself lately. I’m trying to give her some space,” Ignis responded. Y/N had been there a little over a week and it seemed she had yet to leave her room.

“Maybe she’s hoping you will invite her out or something. You gotta take the initiative, Iggy!”

“I have given her my cell and sent her multiple letters. I send meals to her room from time to time but haven’t heard back from her.”

“You cooking for her?”

“No, I haven’t cooked anything yet. Just various meals from the kitchen. It’s hard when I don’t know what she likes. I kind of just come to my own conclusions based on what she sends back.”

“Sooo you’re sending her just a bunch of random plates of meals and seeing what she sends back?”

“You have a better idea Gladiolus?” Ignis sighed.

“Yes, I do!” Gladio stated, like it was super obvious. “Just fucking ask her what she likes!”

“I can’t seem to get her to talk to me. She hasn’t used my cell number or given me hers in return. And she doesn’t answer her door lately. She’s barely eaten either. Half the time the entire cart is sent back untouched. I ask if she ordered anything different and she hasn’t. And she hasn’t left the Citadel to order out. I’m worried for her health.”

“Probably smuggled a bunch of snacks in her suitcases or is eating with the Bernadad…whatever guy she brought with her. I doubt you have to worry about her.”

“She hasn’t left her sleeping quarters, Gladio. And I know she is terribly upset from what Luna has told me about their conversations on the way over here. I worry she’s stressing herself sick.”

“So go see her!” Gladio exclaimed.

“Have you not listened to what I said? She won’t answer the door for anyone! I don’t have her number. And I’m trying not to smother her. She needs to adjust. To come to terms with her new life. Pushing myself on her can do more harm than good. I’m keeping my distance for now, even if it’s killing me to do so.”

“Whatever man. She seems a bit too complicated for my tastes.”

“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t turn her down and over to you then!” Ignis bit out angrily.

“Whoa, buddy! Don’t get mad! I’m just trying to figure things out with you,” Gladio held up his hands in defense.

“Apologies. This is all just…so different than I’m used to or what I even predicted it to be.”

“Girls are complicated, man! They are a hell of a puzzle to figure out!” Gladio told his friend as they exited the elevator and approached Noct’s door. They knocked and waited for him to answer.

“Since when do you knock, Specs?” Noctis asked upon seeing who was at his door.

“Since you got a lady friend you might be bangin in here!” Gladio answered as he pushed his way in.

“Shut up Gladio!” Noct rolled his eyes.

“I hear you have once again messed up your pins,” Ignis scolded as he entered as well.

“It wasn’t me this time! It was Prompto, I swear!”

“Prompto has no business messing with your royal insignia pins! Or touching your Royal Raiment for that matter. There are some things he is not to be messing with, best friend or not.”

“Geez Specs! I get it. Calm down,” Noct said looking at Gladio with a cocked eyebrow.

“Women trouble,” Gladio shrugged.

“She still being a bitch?” Noct asked Ignis, wondering what sort of trouble she was giving him.

“Do not refer to her as such!” Ignis argued. “She is merely still adjusting to having her life ripped out from under her. I’m not having trouble with her, I am simply wishing I could help her in some way. She doesn’t seem to want to communicate with anyone at this time and I am simply giving her personal space.”

“Damn. I’m glad Luna ain’t like that!”

“Well, you have known Luna most of your life. This is a much easier transition for her.”

Luna already had her contract signing two days prior. Each woman was given her own personal day for their contract signing, as each was slightly different than the other. Luna’s of course had different clauses and conditions than Y/N’s. They were marrying two different people of different standings both from different nations for slightly different reasons. Luna’s signing seemed to go off without any issue. She smiled, sitting beside her fiancé and Gladio. Her brother had already signed her pre-agreement and consent to the conditions.

“You think she’s gonna fight it or cause trouble?” Gladio asked out loud.

“I think if she were to fight it, she would have never came. She wasn’t given much of a choice and doesn’t have a say, really. She will probably be a bit upset, however.” Ignis replied. He was hoping the day would go off without a hitch and everything would go smoothly. Something in the pit of his stomach told him that wouldn’t be the case though. “There. All done. Don’t remove these again!” Ignis told Noct, handing him his jacket.

“Yeah yeah! I told you it wasn’t me this time!”

“It’s your jacket, your responsibility! Don’t let anyone else touch it!”

“Okay okay! We need to go, though! My dad will have my head if I’m late.”

The three of them made their way to the Royal Council official meeting room. Along the back wall were three levels of seating with long desks stretched in front of each seat. Each council member was in their royal robes and seated at their particular seat. The majority of them were old as dirt, as Noctis would say. On their last leg of life. They held very old values and beliefs and weren’t very open to new ideas. They also tended to loath Regis’ lax view on things and easy going personality. The King still had final say and made all decisions. The council mostly spoke on behalf of the people of the surrounding towns and cities of Lucis as representation. Luna and Y/N would sit among them soon as representatives of their birth nations. It would be great to longer have to send message to Accordo and Niflheim and wait for response. They would have inside information right at their fingertips.

King Regis was seated in a large throne in the middle of everyone on the floor, the council members raised behind him on their three separate levels. Clarus was standing beside the throne. A table was set up in the middle of the room with the seating on one side facing the council. This is where Bernard, Y/N, and Ignis would be seated. Noctis had a smaller seat to his father’s right and Gladio would stand beside him.

“Notcis! Glad you could join us!” Regis proclaimed as they entered the room. Noct knew it was a poke at his timing. He was supposed to have been there ten minutes ago.

“I had an issue. But I still made it on time!” he argued with his father.

“On time according to who?” Clarus joked.

Noct just rolled his eyes and took his seat. Ignis stood behind his own chair, not wanting to sit until Y/N came in and sat down. A sound at the door made him turn but it was only Cor. He would be the go between of the two parties. He glanced up at the council members and saw them looking at their watches and taking impatient sips of water from their glasses. Ignis hoped Y/N wouldn’t try and pull some sort of stunt to get out of this. She would be arrested on charges of treason, sabotage, and possible criminal charges labeled as infiltration of the Citadel. All punishable by death or life imprisonment if given full sentencing. He would hate for any of that to happen to her because she was upset with her mother for the agreement. She still had a few minutes to show up, but he was still getting nervous as time ticked on.

Finally, the doors opened and a staff member escorted Y/N and Bernard into the room before taking her leave.

“We apologize if we are tardy,” Bernard bowed before walking to his seat. “We were unsure of exactly where to go and found someone to help us.”

Ignis blanched at his statement. He was so stupid! Of course she wouldn’t know how to get there! He should have escorted them himself! He came with Noctis instead, though. If it weren’t for needing to fix his jacket, he would have had time to retrieve the two of them.

Y/N slightly curtsied before moving to her chair. Ignis bowed to her as she approached and pulled it out for her to sit in.

“It’s good to see you,” he quietly said to her.

She looked at his face, but only briefly before sitting down. She looked magnificent today. Ignis couldn’t help but stare at her the whole time he moved to sit in his own seat. She was wearing another elaborate white lace gown, this time with light pink accents instead of purple. Her red hair was perfectly curled and long down her back; a few pieces on each side pulled back and tied with a ribbon behind her head. Diamond studded teardrop earing hung from her ears with a matching necklace laid delicately on her chest. She seemed to be looking at the floor in front of the King and not really mentally present. He hoped she would be okay throughout the signing. He finally turned his attention back in front of him when Regis started talking.

“You look wonderful, Princess Y/N. Thank you both for joining us. This is a very important and monumental moment for you, Princess. I know it isn’t easy doing what you are doing. But Lucis welcomes you with open arms and thanks you for your dedication to the cause of world peace and stabilization and unity.”

Ignis heard a small snort of air come from Y/N. Regis was, of course, sugar coating a lot of what this contract stood for. It was his job to make it sound perfect and wonderful. But Ignis knew Y/N saw it as the exact opposite. He only hoped she wouldn’t for long. That she could open herself up to the wonderful things Lucis had to offer.

“We don’t wish to drag this out any, so we will get right to it!” Regis motioned for Cor to bring her the first part of the contract.

Ignis watched her slowly grab the papers placed in front of her and read over them as Regis read them aloud. She could barely hear him over the thoughts racing through her head.

“You will denounce yourself a citizen of Accordo and Altissia, respectfully,” the King started, before continuously speaking, only certain phrases sticking out to Y/N.

“-no longer a royal member of the court of Altissia-“

“-devote citizen of the nation of Lucis, residing exclusively in Insomnia-“

“-stripped of the title of Princess, denouncing your birthright to the Altissian throne-“

“-still able to use the prefix Princess as homage to your bloodline and past but holding no power amongst the royal court of Lucis and holding no power within the title-“

A new set of papers were placed in front of her by Cor.

“-swear yourself to his Majesty King Regis Lucis Caelum-“

“honor the kings of Lucis before him-“

“-train yourself to protect not only yourself, but the other members of the royal family-“

“-no longer reside at the Citadel unless Ignis Sciencia requests or is required to reside here-“

“-swear yourself also to His Highness Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum-“

“-sit amongst the Royal Council as representative of the Accordo nation-“

Ignis watched her eyes get glassy as another set of papers were placed in front of her. She no longer was looking through them as they were brought to her table.

“-must wear the Lucis Nation symbol and colors when attending formal affairs-“

“-obtain royal colors to be adorned accordingly-“

“-never to attend events in Altissian Royal dressing seen as a snub to your new home nation-“

“-not to discuss affairs mentioned in Royal Council meetings-“

“-not to discuss life inside the Citadel walls or the lives of the Royal Family-“

“-no photos of the Citadel, inside or out, or the Royal family to be taken or shared-“

“-contact with surrounding nations limited and subject to monitoring or recording-“

Ignis watched her hands shake and form tight fists as the last set of paperwork was placed before her. He had read through all of this already so he knew what was being said, but even he was started to zone out and not hear the King talking clearly. Muted bits and pieces hit his ears every so often as he watched a look of anguish slowly overtake Y/N features.

“-swear yourself a devoted spouse to one Ignis Sciencia-“

“-swear yourself to the Royal Family as the spouse of the Royal Advisor to the Prince-“

“-swear not to engage in adultery, domestic violence, and carry yourself respectfully-“

“-honor, love, and care for your spouse-“

“-refrain from sexual provocativeness-“

“-support your spouse in his royal duties and dedication to the Royal Family-“

“-perform your duties as wife to Ignis Sciencia in the home-“

After a few more paragraphs worth of clauses, the King looked up from the copy of the contracts he was reading from.

“You are no longer able to hold Royal Court in neither Accordo or Lucis. The death of your final bloodline kin will leave room for debate about your return to the Accordo throne, but is not promised and immediately denied if suspicious circumstances surround their demises. Any and all refusal of your duties and responsibilities are seen as treason to the King. Acting in defiance is another count of treason to the King. Your punishments will be held against you to the fullest degree. Refusal to sign this contract will result in your arrest on counts of treason and infiltration. Refusal to follow the rules placed before you after signing the contract will result in the same.” Regis paused a moment and smiled at her. “We do not wish to scare you into signing or push you. The choice is still yours to make. If you have any questions or comments the floor is yours to speak before signing.”

Ignis glanced over at her and his face fell at the tears streaking down her face. She snorted a puff of air loudly out of her mouth before speaking with utter disdain lacing her every word.

“Not trying got push me? The choice is mine?” she asked sarcastically. “You threaten jail and death sentences and have the audacity to say I have a CHOICE?!”

Ignis flinched at her shout and felt his breathing speed up a bit. His heart hurt at the utter pain written all over her face. Ignis’ own face was dropping into a look of anguish at seeing her suffering.

“To tear me from my family and nation I was raised to worship and glorify and tell me it means NOTHING to me anymore. To throw me to my knees in front of a King I have never met or spoken to before my arrival. To force me to swear my life to a man I have never been acquainted with and make me sign contracts swearing my devotion and love to him as if I have any love at all to give to anyone. How do you expect me to love and adore anyone when I am surrounded by people who ripped me from my life and family and cut me down from the pillars I once stood proudly upon? All for the sake of peace amongst nations. As if I could ever love this nation or feel any sort of peace toward it after what you have done to me. For the sake of my nation’s future ruling under the foot of powerful masculine presence simply to appease the people being led blindly by the other men of power in this world. You are monsters! You are not saving anyone! I have lost EVERYTHING in my life because of YOU! I don’t know what sweet words you used to so sway my mother into abandoning me, but may they forever haunt your nightmares and may my voice of anguish forever echo in your dreams each night as you lie in this bed you have made! There will never be peace so long as I am a prisoner to your dark nation!”

Ignis felt his own breath catching in his throat as she screamed her pain for the room to hear. He knew she was upset, but he had no idea how deep her pain cut. She was utterly broken and he was simply sitting back the last week leaving her to her despair alone in her room. He could barely forgive himself for ever agreeing to this arrangement that wounded her so horribly.

Y/N snatched the pen off the table in front of her and violently scribbled her signature on the line she was required to sign, almost ripping the paper in the process. She slammed the pen onto the table and quickly rose from her seat and ran out of the room, holding her skirt up so she didn’t trip. Ignis’ breath sped up as he watched her leave. He glanced back at the council and King as murmurs and gasps were heard coming from everyone’s mouths. Regis seemed to be unfazed as Noct and Gladio’s eyes seemed to bulge from their sockets. King Regis held his hand up to quiet the room.

“Her outburst is a freeing of the emotions she has been bottling up since her arrival. She is young and hurt. We will give her time to settle her heart,” he stated to the crowd. He knew they all took her shouting as a direct slap in the face and blatant insubordination. But he knew better. He refused to punish her for her emotions.

Ignis quickly grabbed the pen and scribbled his own signature on the witness line below hers and took off out the door after her. He heard a familiar voice shout his name behind him, but he didn’t turn to see who it was. There was only one person on his mind right now.

His mind was spinning so wildly, he wasn’t sure where to look at first. He decided to go in the direction she most likely came from to get here. She would probably be trying to return to her room to once again isolate herself. He ran down the corridors confusing the workers as he sped by. Ignis Sciencia would never be caught running in the halls like a wild animal. Right now he paid them no attention. He made his way down long halls and a few sets of stairs. As he turned another corner, he spotted her leaning over a trash can against the wall, her body convulsing in what he assumed was heaves from vomiting.

”Y/N!!” he shouted her name, trying to get her attention as he continued to run to her.

“NO!!” she shouted, straightening back up and continuing to run down the hall.

“Y/N please! Stop!”

“NO!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!”

Ignis wondered how she ran so quickly and efficiently in the heels she was wearing. He was barely gaining on her and they would be at her door soon.

“PLEASE! Y/N please!” he begged her.

She made it to her room and quickly unlocked the door and slammed it shut right as he appeared at the threshold. He wasn’t quick enough to catch the door before it latched, but he wasn’t giving up. He knocked on her door, speaking to her through the thick wood.

“Y/N! I wish to help you! Please let me in!”

“GO AWAY! I hate you!!! I hate everyone here!!!”

“Let me help you, please! You’re breaking my heart! I hate seeing you this upset!”

“Your heart?!?! My fucking SOUL is shattered!!! I want to fucking die!!! I hate it here! I want to leave and just die!!” Y/N sobbed from her place against the door on the floor of her room.

Ignis started to panic a bit, worried she might do something rash. Without thinking it through, he blurted out the first idea that came to his head. 

“I can take you away from here!” Ignis yelled through the door.

Sudden silence was heard from the other side as Y/N seemed to stop sobbing uncontrollably.

“What?” he heard her say more quietly through the hiccups still wracking her body.

“We can leave the inner city! I can take you out of these walls!”

“How??” she pleaded, wondering if there was any truth to his words.

“I have a car! We can go to the outskirts of the city. Away from everyone! Please, let me help you! I will take you out of here!” Ignis continued to plead.

The door suddenly opened. Ignis had a death grip on the threshold while he pounded on the wooden door that still held tight. He was out of breath and looked at her tear streaked face. Her eyes were red and her make-up was starting to run. But he wanted nothing more than to quiet her sobs and calm her heart.

“Do you promise?” she asked, hiccuping and wiping her face violently.

“I promise! No one will follow us! We can leave now.”

“I ca-…I can’t-I can’t breathe!” Y/N cried, her breath stopping and catching in her throat as her knees buckled and she fell back to the floor. Her fist was gripping her chest.

“You’re having a panic attack,” Ignis gently informed her, grabbing her wrists in his hands. “Try to breathe with me.” Ignis tried taking deep breaths for her to follow, but every time she attempted to breathe, she started hyperventilating again. “You’re safe with me. I’m going to take you away from here and I promise you will be safe! Nobody here will know! Can you come with me?”

Y/N lightly nodded her head up and down. Ignis gently pulled her to her feet with a little bit of difficulty. He wrapped an arm around her and walked her to the elevator. Sobs were still wracking her body and he could feel her shaking. Whether in anger, fear, or sadness he wasn’t sure. But he hated either reason for it. They got a bunch of odd stares and gasps as they made their way through the lower levels of the Citadel. Luckily not many people were usually in the lower parking deck halls at this hour.

Ignis dug out his keys from his pocket and unlocked his car. He gently placed her in the passenger seat before rounding the car to his own door. Y/N continued to sob loudly in the seat beside him as he started the car and pulled out of his parking spot. He sped off out of the parking deck faster than he would normally approve of. Her sobs almost seemed to get louder and heart wrenching for a moment.

“Don’t worry. We’re on our way. I’ll get you out of here. I promise!” Ignis assured her calmly as they stopped momentarily for the Citadel gate to open and let them out. Once on the road, he made his way to the highway as quickly as the speed limit would allow him and took off toward the outer city limits. He would help her. He would make this alright. His heart was shattering with every sob she wailed out, but he would find a way to help her.

It only took two minutes from the time he got in his car for his phone to ding with a text message. He glanced at the message on his screen from Gladio.

**Gladio: WHERE ARE YOU TWO GOING ?!?**

As much as he was against texting and driving, he typed out a quick response before pocketing his phone.

**Ignis: We will be back.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finding where to stop this chapter was hard. I was going to leave it at more of a cliff hanger but really wanted to continue that raw emotion by both Y/N and Ignis. And I didn’t want to start the next chapter with too much emotion spilling out. I was also debating including their drive and arrival outside the city but this chapter is already longer than the others and I think this is a good cutting mark. 
> 
> So we got the contract signing out of the way and it wasn’t pretty. I didn’t want to drone on and write the whole thing out so I just included clips of it. I can imagine her just sitting there as her head spins hearing her life end as she knew it right in front of her and barely hearing half of what is being said. And while this is a great moment for our couple, don’t be deceived haha I’m not quick to change people or their behaviors. I’m def a slow burn, make it realistic gal. I’m sorry if it frustrates any of you, but I’m promising to update weekly and keep writing and adding on to the story I already have written so that I can keep that weekly update going as long as possible. 
> 
> As always, I’m touch every week by the support and love shown to this story. You guys are the highlight of my week! I do my best to proofread and fix mistakes but if i miss any, feel free to let me know!


	8. Chapter 7

Ignis passed around a few cars on his way to the highway exit he has only taken a small handful of times. He has never left Insomnia and has had no reason to leave the city gates. The only reason he had taken this exit before was to bring Noct to the river by the gates bridge to fish. He was almost as nervous then as he is now. Having the Prince so close to the city walls and him potentially being in danger was enough to completely shoot Ignis’ nerves. He knew now that having a princess who didn’t want to be in the city right on the city limits was dangerous too. He only hoped she didn’t try anything stupid and his plan worked.

Her sobs only seemed to begin to settle as they approached the large bridge in front of them. Her breathing was still uneven and hurried, but she didn’t seem beside herself in grief the way she had been most of the trip. They had only been in the car about twenty minutes but it felt far longer. Ignis’ phone continued to vibrate in his pocket but he chose to ignore it until they reached his destination. He told her that no one would know they left or where they went but that was obviously not the truth. He knew well enough that there were cameras on every corner of the Citadel. Someone would have watched him take her from her room and into his car. It’s how Gladio knew the two of them were up to something. He only hoped they didn’t have anyone waiting for them when they reached the river.

Before the car officially made it to the bridge leading out of the city, Ignis took a right turn down a dirt path that could barely be called a road. Y/N’s head whipped over to look at him, completely confused. She watched them drive a little ways before finally speaking her mind.

“What the fuck are you doing??” she screeched.

Ignis stopped the car and cut the engine. They were still close to the road, but far enough off of it to seem isolated. There was no traffic here. They were far enough out of the city to not hear the bustling noises or to even see any other people. The official gates into the city were at the other end of the bridge. It was too far to make out anyone, but something seemed to be blocking the road ahead. He assumed it was put there to stop them from leaving. Did they honestly think he thought they could just drive out of the city no problem? And did Y/N think that was the case as well? He suddenly started to feel sick that she wasn’t going to be happy with not actually leaving. He never promised her a full escape. He was sure to specifically say the city limits. He wondered if her frantic mind had registered all of his words to her in her room.

“I told you I would take you to the city limits. Any further and we would reach Insomnia’s gates. I wanted to bring you someplace quiet. Away from the Citadel and everyone there. This is-“

“NO!! I want to leave!! Keep going!” she yelled, interrupting him.

“You know as well as I do that we can’t do that. You only just signed a document stating such-“

“I don’t care!!! Let them shoot me dead leaving the gates. I DON’T CARE!”

“Please, Y/N! Don’t say that. I know you are upset-“

“YOU KNOW NOTHING!!” Y/N screamed, before opening her door and exiting the car.

Ignis quickly got out with her, praying to the Astrals she didn’t do anything stupid. This plan was executed on a whim. There was no real plan here. He hoped it wasn’t a bad decision. He always thought everything through with back up plans and careful research and deep thinking. Never before has he just blurted ideas as they came to his mind. A few times he and Noctis got caught running around outside the Citadel when he was young, and he rashly took the blame. But that was nothing close to the caliber of his current situation.

Y/N had ran a little ways from the car and was at the river bank. He knew if she dove in, he would have to follow her to bring her back. And there was no promising that the guards at the gate with careful eyes on them wouldn’t snipe them both assuming the two of them to be escaping together.

“Y/N, I am sorry I cannot take you any further. I just wanted to do all I could to help you and unfortunately this is the best I can do right now. If you wa-“

“Go away! Just…just go away…” Y/N sounded defeated. She dropped to the ground near the water and started once again crying.

Ignis wasn’t sure what to do. He knew not to push her but wanted so badly to run over and embrace her. To let her know she was still admired and her presence here was a light to him. Her unfortunate darkest moment was one of his best. He would always take care of her and provide everything she needed. His phone vibrating again interrupted his thoughts. He pulled the phone from his pocket and saw Gladio attempting to call him again. He glanced back at Y/N. She didn’t seem like she was going to take off. Hearing a car pulling up to where they turned off the road made him realize how dire it was he answer his friend.

“Please excuse me, Y/N. I must take this call.” Y/N didn’t even show signs of hearing him. Ignis turned and walked back towards his car, keeping his eye on the glaives that were exiting the car parked at the entrance to the path they were currently on. “Yes, Gladio?”

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??” his friend yelled through the receiver. “I know you are love dunk right now, but tell me you aren’t about to do something really stupid. Do you have any idea the chaos you have caused here? Cor is about to blow a damn gasket! There are orders to bring the two of you in! Tell me you aren’t as stupid as everyone thinks you are right now!...” Gladio sounded about as nervous as he had felt on the drive over here.

“Assure Cor we are not leaving! We pulled over before the gate bridge,” Ignis assured his friend.

“Yeah, we see that. There are eyes on you from all angles, Ig! You guys won’t…you can’t….” Gladio wasn’t sure how to tell his friend if he went any further, there was no promising he would keep his life. “Don’t. Leave.” he growled out the last two words.

“We aren’t going to. I’m making sure she doesn’t either. Please, tell Cor and Drautos to have their men stand down. I don’t want to scare her off.”

Ignis couldn’t see, but Gladio held up a hand to Cor who had his glare directed right at him. No one had been able to get ahold of Ignis this whole time and all assumed he was going AWOL. Gladio mouthed “It’s okay” to Cor and watched his superior’s shoulders ease a bit. No one ever expected Ignis to do something like this and almost weren’t sure how to handle the situation. Noctis had been begging everyone to back off his friend and not to hurt him even if they did catch up to them. Regis was trying to keep calm, although he was sweating along with the rest of the room. Clarus was puzzled by his King’s calmness but was just as worked up as Cor. There were screens all over the security room they were in, all zeroed in on the advisor and the princess.

“Talk to me, Iggy. I need to know what’s going on,” Gladio told his friend. All eyes in the room were on him right now, silently waiting to hear the situation.

Ignis took an unsteady breathe. Everything was starting to hit him now that they were out of the car and in the silence outside the city. The adrenaline rush he felt getting her out of the Citadel was hitting him now and the consequences of his actions were weighing heavily on him. The glaives no longer had their weapons drawn but were still standing outside the car watching him as he faced them.

“She was beside herself when I found her. She was so upset she was sick in the hall. I pursued her all the way to her room where she slammed the door in my face. Her wails of anguish were cutting me to my core, Gladio. I had to do something. When she mentioned ending her life, I had to be quick. I told her I would take her to the city limits. Away from the Citadel, away from the noise and chaos of the city. She needed someplace calm to calm her mind and heart. I took her to my car with no intentions of ever reaching the gates. I was only going to bring her to the river where we are now. Please. I should have informed everyone of my plan but I was too busy worrying about her health.”

Ignis heard Gladio speaking to someone else in the room he was in, but couldn’t make out what was being said. A moment later, the glaives got back in their car and drove back out onto the road. They didn’t completely leave, however. He watched them pull off on the side of the road a little ways down. Still keeping an eye on them from afar, he figured.

“I’m so mad at you!” Gladio informed his friend.

“I know Gladio…” Ignis quietly responded. Gladio was no doubt losing his mind at the thought of his closest friend pulling a stunt like he had. There would be nothing Gladio could do if the King had ordered him be taken out for kidnapping or accessory to escape.

“Don’t be gone long. I’ve got them off your back a bit but they aren’t gonna wait around all day and night.”

“I appreciate it, thank you. We won’t be gone all day.”

“Quit being stupid, Ig. You’ve changed since she got in the picture, and I’m not liking it!”

“I haven’t changed, Gladio. I’ll text you when we head back.”

Ignis ended the call with his friend. He wasn’t sure what he had meant by “you’ve changed”. He was quite certain he was still exactly the same. His friends probably weren’t used to him showing interest in a girl or thinking about someone other than them. His daily routine and attention to them hadn’t changed at all the past week she had been there.

Ignis pocketed his phone and headed back towards Y/N. He hadn’t been keeping an eye on her and hoped she was still where he left her. He found her with her shoes off and feet in the water and her cries much quieter and more to herself. He carefully made his way to her side, still keeping a small amount of distance so she didn’t feel crowded. He sat down beside her on the ground, choosing to keep his shoes on and his feet out of the water.

“I’m sorry I can’t do more for you,” he quietly told her. When she didn’t respond, he decided to continue. “I know…I know you are hurting. And I’m very sorry that is the case. While I can’t know exactly how you feel, I can imagine it’s not easy leaving your home and family behind. But I want you to know, even if it seems like everyone here is against you and everyone has turned their back on you…I never will. You can always confide in me if you need someone.”

“My own mother and country turned their back on me…how can I believe you?” she asked in disbelief.

“Because I will prove it to you every chance I get,” Ignis responded softly.

Y/N glanced over at Ignis a moment, not sure how to take his affection and support. She rolled her eyes and looked away, not wanting to believe him. If she couldn’t trust her own mother, how could she trust a stranger?

Ignis tried not to take offense to her actions. He knew it would take some time. She was cut deeply today and hurting the worst she has through this whole ordeal. He couldn’t read into her every word and action. They were said and done out of pain.

“You don’t even know me,” she informed him.

“I want to…”

“Why? Look, I don’t know how the hell you got roped into this bullshit but you don’t have to pretend, okay? They can’t just force two people to be together and expect us to be soulmates. You don’t have to put on a show for me.”

“It’s not a show.”

“There is no way you could have known enough about me to actually like me. I don’t even know when the last picture of me was printed-“

“You’re sweet sixteen birthday,” Ignis interrupted. Y/N just stared at him wondering how he knew that. “I’m not going to lie. I wasn’t familiar with you before all of this was proposed to me. I accepted the proposal before-“

“Accepted?” Y/N asked, tilting her head confused.

“Yes. You were offered as a gift to me. I was given the option to accept or decline. Had I declined, another member of the court would have been offered your hand. I accepted without knowing who you were. I felt I had a duty to my king. But…as I looked you up and tried to find all I could about you, I found myself intrigued and fascinated and…smitten. You were lovely in the picture I found of you, and you are even more beautiful today in person.”

“How many other people turned me down before you accepted?” she asked quietly, looking out over the water. She wanted to know just how many other people didn’t like her before one took a blind chance on her.

“No one. I was the first to be asked. There were only a small handful of people qualified. I can’t deny I almost felt a sense of jealousy at thinking of someone else taking you if I turned you down.”

Y/N wasn’t sure what to think. She was pissed she was just this bride thrown around for people to take or throw away. They didn’t pick the perfect man with her in mind…they just grabbed a handful of “qualified” people and started down the list. A small part of her was also flattered the first guy she was offered to wanted her to himself. Without even knowing her, and still wanted her. But then again, what person wouldn’t want to marry a princess without any work? Just sign a paper and ship her on over.

Y/N’s eyes were once again filling with tears. She couldn’t help but keep feeling used and betrayed over and over. The feeling never seemed to go away. She also kept playing those horrid words by Regis over and over again in her mind. She was truly a slave to this nation. A pawn. How could everything change so suddenly in her life?

Ignis was glancing over at her, a look of anguish on his own face. He wasn’t sure if he should reach out to her or not. To either take her in his arms or even just rub a hand on her back.

“I want to be alone,” she cried out.

Well, that answered his question before he had a chance to do anything. He was at least a bit grateful he hadn’t leaned in only for her to lash at him. He hoped his words helped her a bit. He knew it wouldn’t make her suddenly fall for him and put everything behind her. But hopefully it steered her dark thoughts in a more positive direction.

“Of course. I’ll be in the car.” Ignis stood up and walked back to his car.

He wasn’t offended at all. He brought her here to be alone, and that is what she wished for right now. He took out his phone to look back through the messages and missed calls he had received on his drive over here. Most everything seemed to have been answered with his call to Gladio earlier. He felt terrible for worrying everyone. He knew they would be upset with him and curious, but he wasn’t quite thinking of the mass hysteria that seemed to have been created by his actions. He was sure to be in trouble when he returned. He only hoped they wouldn’t punish Y/N. None of this was her idea. She was barely coherent when she agreed to it and came along with him.

Rather than have an uncomfortable and scolding conversation with one of his friends, he chose to instead go through his emails for the day. He didn’t spend much time in his office this morning. He spent a little more time at home getting ready than usual, knowing it was a big day for Y/N. He knew the signing wouldn’t take long and expected to be back in his office after lunch. He wasn’t sure when he would get back now. He would let Y/N have all the time she needed. If nightfall hit, he would make a call to Gladio or Cor and fill them in on the situation.

He got a bit distracted thinking about her again. Maybe it would be best if she had someone to talk to other than him, as much as it pained him to say. Someone outside of the situation without an opinion to matter. A therapist. Possibly even a psychiatrist if it was bad enough. Hearing her talk of ending her life cut him deeply. Teenagers threw the phrase around often, as if not existing anymore was some joke you could take back. But her anguished cries spoke a deeper truth to her words than he cared for. She needed someone to help her through this. That Bernard fellow she brought along seemed rather useless. Her mother hadn’t contacted Regis as of yet to check on her and Y/N didn’t seem fond of her. He would have to ask her about their relationship sometime in the future. Even if she had a friend to speak to, they would probably feed into her hate and pain and agree that her life was over. She needed someone to help convince her of all the beauty she was about to encounter here. Regis had mentioned that was partially his job, but he felt right now his presence was more detested than wanted. It could hurt things worse if he stepped in now trying to tell her about all the good Lucis held.

He would make note to speak to some people tomorrow and figure out if intervention would be best. They should also make other important appointments, such as a health check up with the royal doctor. A prenuptial appointment with the royal lawyers. A few things had been laid out in the contract today concerning their marriage, but more needed officially hashed out. He then began wondering if she had done any sort of wedding planning. He imagined not, given her opinion on the matter. He should ask her. Last minute wedding plans were nothing short of chaotic, and they were on such a time crunch already. Luna seemed to be a bit ahead of the game. She already had her dress picked out and brought with her. It was actually picked up in Altissia when they stopped to retrieve Y/N on the way to Lucis. She surely wouldn’t want Ignis to accompany her to pick out a dress. He wondered how friendly she and Luna were and if maybe the two of them could go together.

Ignis continued to switch between making lists of important tasks and things that needed completed, including a wedding list of all the things they needed to think and talk about like flowers, colors, etc, and reading and answering emails on his phone. He was startled out of his work when the phone in his hand started ringing. He was expecting Gladio to call him wanting updates at some point. Cor was calling him directly, instead.

“Yes sir…” Ignis answered.

“It’s getting dark. I need a status update,” the gruff voice demanded.

Ignis looked around. He hadn’t even noticed how late it had become. He was so sucked into everything he was doing on his phone that his surroundings didn’t even register to him. In a sudden ping of panic, he sat up straighter and looked around for Y/N, hoping she hadn’t run off while he was distracted. He never even thought to keep a careful eye on her. He knew she was aware of the dire consequences if she chose to escape, but was more concerned about her hurting herself. He sagged back down in the seat in relief to see her still sitting in the same spot he left her.

“She’s still sitting to herself on the bank. I left her alone as she requested but have kept an eye on her,” he lied. “I can go see how she is doing and let you know.”

“Bring her back. My men have other jobs they need to concern themselves with. She can sit alone with her thoughts in her room. You have fifteen minutes to convince her to return to the car or my men will bring her back in theirs. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Ignis answered before the line cut dead. He was a bit upset at Cor’s lack of empathy, but knew they really needed to head back. He assured them they wouldn’t be out here all night.

He slowly exited the car and made his way over to where Y/N was sitting. He wasn’t even sure if she had moved since he left her alone. Quietly, he cleared his throat and attempted to get her attention.

“Y/N?” he gently said. She turned her head slightly in his direction, but didn’t bring her eyes to look at him. “I’ve received a call from the Citadel. They are requesting we return.”

“Requesting or demanding?” she asked.

“It seems you know military way of thinking too well,” Ignis responded lightly, smiling even though she couldn’t see it. “If you come with me now, they won’t send anyone to retrieve us. I think you know what I mean by that.”

Ignis hoped she wasn’t as upset as earlier and wouldn’t tell them off and to shoot her dead instead. He really hoped she cooperated with him and none of this stress he caused would get any worse than it already was.

“So you promise to help me and bring me to a place of solitude, only to threaten me with force to return…I see. Fine. Whatever,” she spat as she stood and made her way to the car, still not looking at him.

Ignis sighed and gave her a minute before turning and making his own way to the car. A part of him regretting what he did; bringing her out here. Another part still stood by his decision. She was still angry, probably always would be to a certain extent, but she was much more calm. She wasn’t frantic and losing control. No, he would do this all again for her. He knew it.

They made their way back to the Citadel in silence. The car pulled over on the side of the road was now behind them, following them back and making sure they kept true to their word to return. There was so much Ignis wanted to say to her, but he feared making things worse. She was walking on a very thin tightrope right now and anything could rock her right off. As they pulled up to the Citadel gates and he showed his ID to the guard, things felt a bit more tense.

“Ok Mr. Sciencia, pull up to the front staircase. Do not return to the parking deck, understood?” the guard instructed him. He knew the strict orders were to keep a steady eye on them.

“Of course. Thank you,” he replied, taking his ID back and pocketing it.

As he pulled around he noticed a small group of people waiting at the top of them. Cor, Gladio, and Drautos were there, as was Clarus. The King must be retired to his quarters, as well as Noctis. A small group of what looked like Glaives also stood by them. And that butler fellow that followed Y/N around. Before he unlocked the door for them to get out, he decided to speak up.

“Y/N…I want to say something before departing.” Y/N looked over at him but didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more today. And I’m sorry all that transpired today affected you so terribly. I meant what I said though. And I do wish to get to know you more. There is also much we need to discuss about the upcoming month. I would very much like to have lunch with you tomorrow, if you would like. Not here, of course. I should wish to take you out for lunch someplace nice. We could maybe even find an Altissian restaurant or some other type of food you enjoy.”

“Are they even going to let me leave after today?” she asked, skeptically.

“I should hope so. If anyone here is in trouble, it’s most likely me. I’ll speak with them and let you know, if you wish.”

“Fine,” Y/N answered, not sure of what else to say. She was getting a bit curious about the city and tired of ordering food to her room. It was starting to feel more like a jail cell the longer she was in it.

“Might I have your number to do so?” he hesitantly asked.

Y/N glanced over at him puzzled for a minute, then realized while she had his number, she had never given him hers. She looked out the window and saw the men getting restless. Cor had taken a few steps down toward them as a warning.

“I’ll text it to you later. I think we should get out now. They seem mad.”

Ignis glanced up at the small crowd and agreed with her. He knew it gave her a chance to back out of meeting with him if she never text him, but he could always send word by telegraph to her room if he had to.

The two of them exited the car and made their way up the stairs. Bernard stepped down to meet her halfway, concerned for her safety.

“Princess! Are you alright? I’ve been worried sick!” Bernard exclaimed.

Ignis couldn’t help the small snort of air that escaped his nose. He wasn’t too worried if he didn’t get ahold of Ignis or chase after her himself.

“Am I free to escort her to her room? I think she needs a good night’s rest after today’s events,” her servant asked of the men in charge standing there. Clarus was the one to answer him.

“Of course. Please sleep well, Princess Y/N,” Clarus nodded at the two of them as they walked past. As Ignis was about to go with them, Clarus stopped him in his tracks. “Sciencia! It would be wise of you not to follow them,” he glared, before turning and heading back into the Citadel.

“My office, now!” Cor ground out.

Ignis nodded his head and entered the large building. Gladio gave him a look of sympathy, knowing he was about to get completely chewed out. Everyone else seemed to dissipate back to wherever it was they needed to be. Drautos originally wanted to come along too, but Cor assured him he had it handled and would make him answer for the dispatch of the captain’s men as well as the Crownsguard.

As soon as they entered Cor’s office and shut the door, Cor made his way behind his desk and stood with his arms crossed.

“I’m sorry sir for-“

“What made you think that leaving the Citadel without word, with a distraught Princess from another nation, on a fast track to the city gates was a good idea? You had my men, Drautos’ men, and the shields all preoccupied with your whereabouts and trying to figure out what the hell it was you were doing. You refused phone calls and messages, you gave no warning of your departure, and you were gone for hours. I want an explanation, NOW!”

“Again, I apologize, sir. I made a rash and quick decision with little thought. My only concern was her wellbeing. She was terribly upset after the contract signing, as you saw. I felt as her future significant other, I should try and help her. She was physically ill and panicking. When she threatened to end her life, I made the decision to bring her away from everything causing her distress. I thought getting away from the unfamiliar and deafening city would be good for her. I never had any intention of leaving the city, nor did I even think it to be a possibility. I knew the guards would not let us through if we even tried. I assured Gladio I would be back as I left. I’m sorry I didn’t say more or answer any incoming calls. I don’t often like to use my phone while driving. When we arrived, I was explaining to her where we were exactly and why. She was in a state of hysteria when we left. Gladio called me before I had a chance to call him.”

Cor watched him with an unchanging glare the whole time he spoke.

“She wished to end her life? Do you feel extra security and possible hospitalization is needed? These are not matters to blow off. Her suicide could cause irreparable damage to our reputation and standing in the world.”

“No. I think she was merely speaking out of pain and speaking rashly. I took it serious at the moment, however, and that is was caused our departure. After she settled down and had time to think, and speaking with her a bit, I still feel she was merely lashing out. I do, however, think it best if maybe she was given someone professional to discuss her strong feelings with to prevent future outbursts.”

“Hm,” Cor grunted in response. He seemed to be thinking over the rest of what Ignis had mentioned. “You do realize that at any point up to her marriage, and even after, if you are deemed unfit to properly be with her or the King questions your own motives and loyalties, her hand can be withdrawn from you. If the King no longer approves of your joining, she will be given to someone else. You still have a duty to this kingdom over your spouse. You understand this, correct?”

“Of course!” Ignis replied quickly.

“Gladio seems worried your thoughts are a bit skewed lately.”

“I can assure you that is not the case. He mentioned something similar to me, but I think he is just used to seeing me so engrossed in the Prince’s life it’s foreign to see me making decisions about my own. I promise my loyalties and dedication remain constant and to the King and Prince. That will never falter.”

“It better not. The consequences aren’t small for such transgressions. Your stunt today calls for house arrest on her part and further punishment on yours.”

“Please don’t do that to her,” Ignis pleaded. “I feel it would only make things worse. She already feels like a prisoner here. I was hoping to take her out tomorrow for lunch in the city. Seeing her emotions improve after being out of these walls today, I think it would only further help her to get out again. Only this time within the city to show her a bit of it with hopes she grows to see it’s not so bad.”

“You want to avoid punishment so you can go on a date?” Cor asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I know it sounds that trivial, but it truly is not. Sure, it also helps me to get to know her better. But, it honestly is to help her. I have a list of things we need to go over for the upcoming wedding and her future here in Lucis. I have put it off thus far, trying to give her space to adjust but I feel that has only made things worse. Regis asked me to wean her into this world, and I hope to make true on my word starting tomorrow. Today was an error on my part, but after assessing the situation I see my errors. I ask for a pass this once. This is all so new to me and I apologize it is taking me a handful of blunders to get it right.”

Cor almost wanted to chuckle at Ignis. Women were a puzzle he never cared to solve. He knew what involving yourself with them could do. It also made men soft and make poor judgments and decisions. He’s watched Regis, Clarus, and Cid all do it. And word was Weskham was currently doing the same. The poor young man in front of him was so clueless. To never even show interest in a girl and then suddenly be responsible for one and marry her as well had to be hellish whiplash. Cor knew Ignis was smart. He was one of the most dedicated and least selfish people he knew. This was merely a flub, but he needed to let him know flubs couldn’t happen in their line of work.

“I will let this one slide. Take it as your first and final warning. I know people are taught to always hold their spouses in high regard and put them above all…but in your profession, she can never come first. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Ignis responded. It pained a small part of him to accept and agree, but he always knew that would be his life.

“Dismissed. Don’t make me call you in here again.”

“Thank you, sir!” Ignis bowed and walked out of the office, heading back to his car parked out front. He knew he got off really easily. Cor wasn’t one to be soft with people. He didn’t let anything slide. He just had to be more careful and less rash in the future.

As he was making his way down the steps, his phone went off. He assumed it would be Gladio asking how everything went with Cor and to call him, but was surprised to see it was from a number he didn’t recognize. The number didn’t even look to be from this region. He opened the message and smiled to himself.

 **863-95-9762:** **It’s Y/N. Here’s my number. See you tomorrow?**

Ignis was glad she messaged him as she said she would. Hopefully this was a step forward for them. He was really glad he was able to get her out of her punishment now.

**Ignis: I look forward to it!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can honestly say I picture Cor standing there all big and bad and super pissed cause he’s stressed about today’s events, but trying so hard not to laugh at poor Ignis having no idea what to do with a distraught girl to the point he had half the army after him hahaha   
> Next chapter, our princess finally gets to go out into the city, but if you know me as an author you know it won’t be a day in paradise. But at least the hatred toward Ignis is at like 90% right now and not a full 100% lol She’s just so damn stubborn. I can’t wait till you guys get to the chapters she really lashes out. You’ll enjoy them more than you expect! *wink wink*  
> Thanks again for all the amazing support and love and comments. You guys have really fueled me so much creatively the past few weeks, I’ve hit such a high in my writing all across the board with all my writing projects. Thank you!!!


	9. Chapter 8

Y/N sat on her bed picking at the lace that was sewn in patterns on her long skirt. She hadn’t done much this morning. She hadn’t even eaten breakfast. After everything that went on yesterday, she still didn’t have much of an appetite. Plus, she was supposed to go out with Ignis for lunch today. She wasn’t quite sure why she agreed to that. Maybe it was her way of thanking him for the small favor he did her yesterday. She was still upset he didn’t let her leave. It was basically a tease to take her just to the border and then bring her back. As if to show her the literal walls keeping her in. She wanted to deck him right in the jaw. Seeing his face stopped her, though. He was looking at her as if she would crumble in his hands if he dared to touch her. He looked so lost at how to help her but wanting to so bad. She hated him for that. For wanting to make things better. For wanting to save her. For trying so hard and being so nice. There was nothing he could do. He would never be able to help her. And looking at his torn face made her so angry. Just bugger off already. Quit trying so damn hard. It was pointless. 

She was starting to regret skipping breakfast. She hadn’t eaten all day yesterday and was feeling the painful pangs in her empty stomach. As starved as she was, she still feared food not staying down. Ignis had text her last night telling her he should be done in his office around noon and would pick her up from her room shortly after. She still had about an hour until he would be here. She was debating calling LeAnn. She didn’t talk to her all day yesterday and her friend would be wondering why. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to relive everything over again as she explained what happened. It was still too raw. Honestly, it probably always would be. Everyone acted like she needed to just forget her old life and move on. Like it was so easy to just completely change her entire life. She expected a call from her mother, but never got one. She had to have known yesterday was the contract signing. Wouldn’t she want to talk to her about it? She also had to have known it would be upsetting. She signed her portion of it, so she knew what was written in there. Didn’t she care how her own daughter took it? Maybe she could call LeAnn and just not bring up the contract. She probably knew nothing about it or if she did, she didn’t know when Y/N was to sign it. It would be a great distraction to get her mind off things and make the time go faster while she waited on Ignis to arrive. Deciding that was probably the only thing that was going to make her feel better, she grabbed her cell phone off the bed beside her and called her best friend. Before it could even connect and ring, a series of tones was heard before an automated message played.

_“The phone you are dialing from is not authorized in this territory. Please hang up and complete your call from another device. If you believe this error to be a mistake, please contact the Insomnia Communications Department at 3-47-9874-020. If you have found this device, acquired it from someone else, or are acquiring citizenship in Insomnia and in need of a new device, please turn this phone in to the Crownsguard. Thank you.”_

The line cut dead and Y/N pulled her phone away from her ear, staring at it. 

“What??” She asked out loud, before dialing her friend’s number again. When she got the same automated message, she found herself trying over and over again, hoping one of her calls would go through. After about five more attempts, her phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down at the screen and noticed a text box that read “LOCATION LOCKED”. She heard a voice playing through the speaker and put it back to her ear. A new automated message was playing. 

_“Too many international call attempts have been made from this illegal device. The location of this phone has been tracked. Please turn this device into the Crownsguard, immediately.”_

“You have got to be kidding me!!” Y/N shrieked. They seriously locked her phone? She vaguely remembered King Regis saying something about monitored phone calls yesterday, but did they honestly plan to cut her cell phone off and force her to make phone calls from the front desk or something? Or in a room with a Kingsglaive member on another line watching her? What was this?? 

She tried sending a text to her friend to see if that would work, but it only showed up as a red box, meaning it failed to send. She also noticed the service bar at the top was just a red X as well. She couldn’t even access the internet on her phone. How were they even able to do this? How did they know her phone was foreign? They had no problem with it the first week she was here. 

A knock on her door startled her. Did they track her phone down that quick and really come for her? She slowly made her way to the door and opened it to see Cor standing in front of her. 

“You ran off yesterday and forgot your new phone,” he held up a black phone a little bigger than the one she had and of a different brand she didn’t recognize. “Contract states you need an Insomnian issued phone. Let me remind you that international calls and texts will always be monitored-“

“So someone is gonna listen in to my every conversation??” She interrupted. She didn’t care who he was or what he was in charge of. She was pissed.

“No. Only international calls and texts made outside of Insomnia. And they are only monitored. This means they are recorded and fed through a computer and flagged if certain words or phrases are used. Our technology is also able to easily pick up on code phrases, so don’t think you can get around it easily. But no human is listening live to your call. All recordings are archived for a classified amount of time. You are still able to call your relatives and friends across the borders. We just have to be cautious when moving new citizens in, especially around the royal family.” Cor watched as Y/N slowly took the phone from his hand and continued to look down at the floor. He signed before continuing. “Look, I know this shit sounds like it sucks, but if it makes you feel better, I’ve only ever had to listen to maybe ten phone calls over the years. And half of those were people joking around not realizing how serious shit can be taken. So, word to the wise, don’t even joke about shit you think can get you into trouble. You’re free to add your contacts and whatever to the phone. It’s yours to keep and customize as you wish. Your number can be found in the phone. Have a great day.” With that, Cor nodded his head and left down the hallway.

Y/N turned the phone over in her hands a few times. Well, it was better than she was thinking but still sucked. Why couldn’t they just do all that fancy stuff to her phone? If they were able to lock and shut it off and even track it, why not just add monitoring to her device? She decided she might as well get to adding her contacts. And get rid of the stupid wallpaper of the Citadel. Fuck this damn building. As she started going through her contacts, she caught herself pausing a lot. She wondered if she wanted to add them all to her new phone. Her brother. Some of her friends who had yet to check in on her or answer her calls even though they swore they would be so sad when she moved and made her promise to keep in touch. She even contemplated adding her mother. She started making a list of people she wanted to think about adding. She was being forced to let new people into her life. She wasn’t about to force herself into anyone’s.

She was still going through her contacts when a few knocks rapped on her door.

* * *

Ignis was sitting at his desk trying to finish his work at the time he told Y/N he would be done. A few unexpected items got added to his list and he was doing his best to rush through them without making mistakes. Noct also didn’t finish the report he was supposed to make up last night and dumped it on him at breakfast this morning. Normally adding a few things to his agenda didn’t bother him so much, but he didn’t want the first time he got to spend the day with Y/N to be him showing up late.

It also didn’t help that Gladio had been in his office for most of the morning wanting a full run down of everything that had happened yesterday. It was a bit hard to write and type something while having a different conversation.

“So let me get this straight…” Gladio started. “You rescue the princess from the burning tower with the big bad dragon, drive her far away, and she wished you would have just let her burn to ash inside?”

“I suppose if you wish to turn the whole thing into a metaphor, that sounds slightly accurate. However I would like to add that I don’t think she actually wanted to burn inside. She seemed relieved when I told her I would take her out of there.”

“Yeah, only to scream in your face about wanting to die and to leave her alone!”

“I never said she screamed in my face-“

“No, but I can picture it. She screamed in your face.”

Ignis just sighed and pinched the bridge of is nose before continuing his work.

“Why do you seem so rushed today? Just work through your lunch like you often do.”

“I can’t. I am taking Y/N out for lunch in the city today.”

“Shut up!” Gladio exclaimed. “So all that bullshit you went through yesterday paid off, eh? She agreed to go on a date with you??”

“Don’t call it a date, Gladio. It’s me getting to know her better and finally being able to have a conversation one on one with her.”

“Ignis, what exactly do you think a date is?” Gladio asked, amused. “It’s exactly that! Getting to know someone one on one. Having a conversation.”

“I hardly remember many of your dating stories revolving around deep conversations and getting to know the girl you were with. Maybe getting to know her anatomy, but hardly her mind and personality.”

“Those weren’t exactly dates, those were hook-ups. There’s a difference. A date is going the extra mile to make them think you’re interested. Granted, you don’t have to prove you’re interested to her. She’s marrying you regardless.”

“I really hate every time people point out that we are to be wed without liking each other. I wish to make this as normal as possible. I also like her very much and want that to mean something!” Ignis stated looking up from his computer to make his point.

“Okay okay! Sorry! I know you like the girl. It’s written all over your smitten face,” Gladio chuckled as Ignis glared at him. “Although I have a hard time seeing what you see in her. She doesn’t seem your type at all and quite honestly a bit bitchy even for my taste.”

“I have asked all of you to refrain from calling her that! I’m not going to tolerate the lot of you calling her names!” Ignis snapped.

“Okay. Again, my bad. Guess I’ll get to know her soon enough though. Cor informed me I’ll be teaching her self-defense starting next week. Gotta get her in something other than a ball gown though.”

“I happen to love the way she dresses.”

“Yeah you would. So, where you guys plan to go today?”

“Not sure, really. I figured I would point out some of the Altissian restaurants we have and let her choose which she thinks is best. Or if she would rather eat something else, I’m willing to go wherever she chooses.”

“Did you confirm with her the plans for today yet?”

“What do you mean?” Ignis asked, confused.

“She was upset and a bit out of her mind yesterday. She may feel very differently about going out today. Girls pull that shit all the time. Always gotta confirm your plans the day of. Don’t know how many times I got ready to either last minute get a text or show up to their door and hear ‘oh, I don’t feel like it today, maybe some other day’”, Gladio said, using a high pitched whiny voice to imitate the girl.

Ignis sat there a moment contemplating texting her. Surely she wouldn’t just change her mind, right? He decided to maybe play it safe and just send her a text confirming the time they were going to meet. Maybe let her know a more exact time he planned to be there so she wasn’t sitting around waiting. Gladio chuckled as Ignis got out his phone.

** Ignis: ** **Hello Princess. Just wanting to confirm our lunch together today. I should be wrapped up and done with my day in about forty-five minutes. Does that still work for you?**

_Send._

**Message Failed to send. Retry?**

Ignis furrowed his brows a bit and checked the top corner of his phone. He had full service. That was odd. He tapped the retry button only to get a new message.

**The phone number you are trying to reach is not attached to a valid device .Messages to this phone are blocked. You are advised to no longer contact this number.**

That really gave Ignis pause and caused his head to tilt. Gladio noticed the odd reaction and couldn’t help but be curious.

“What did she say?” he asked his friend. “You look perturbed. She cancel on you?”

“No…I’m not sure what is happening actually,” Ignis stated, still wondering what the messages even meant.

“I swear that girl is an entire head trip,” Gladio rolled his eyes assuming she was giving him some run around story. “Come on, what did she say?”

“She didn’t say anything. My messages aren’t even going through.”

“You’re kidding!” Gladio stated, starting to get a bit mad at this chick. “She fucking blocked you? That’s even harsher!”

“What does this mean?” Ignis asked, turning his phone to face his friend sitting in front of him. Gladio leaned in to read the red bold messages and raised an eyebrow.

“I have never seen that shit in my life. The first one, yeah. That means they blocked you. Or changed their number. The second one is weird. Maybe it’s an Altissia thing? When you’re blocked it warns you to stay away?”

Ignis pulled back his phone and looked at the messages some more.

“Not attached to a valid device?” he mumbled out loud.

“Yeah, that part is odd. I say she changed her number. She gave it to you last night, regretted it this morning, and changed it.”

“Could she do that from all the way over here, though? Wouldn’t she need to contact her carrier in her own country?”

“Honestly I don’t know. I can’t change my number cause it’s Insomnia Crown issued. Same with yours. You know how hard it is to even replace the damn thing when it cracks or breaks. It’s a hell of a fucking ordeal.”

“No, actually. I have never broken my phone. And I don’t know how many times I need to stress to you to get a case for yours.” Gladio just smirked at him. “Maybe I should call? It only mentioned messages…”

“I have no fucking clue what to do. See what happens when you call, though. I’m curious.”

Ignis pressed the little phone icon next to her contact name. Instead of ringing, a serious of tones beeped before a recorded voice spoke.

_“The number you have dialed is not attached to a valid device. Continuous attempts to contact this device will result in your device being locked and your location tracked. If you feel this is a mistake or would like to report any information on the owner of this number, please contact the_ _Insomnia Communications Department at 3-47-9874-020.”_

As the same message started to replay over again, Ignis switched to speakerphone so Gladio could hear as well. His friend arched an eyebrow and stared at him with his mouth slightly open.

“That’s the Crown’s doing!” he told Ignis. “I bet they locked her phone!”

“But why? Last night, Cor seemed to make it sound like everything was fine. I specifically asked him not to punish her for all that.”

“Maybe the King felt differently,” Gladio shrugged. 

Ignis didn’t think that was the case. At breakfast, the King seemed very sympathetic to the situation and gentle about it. Surely, he would have told him if he was no longer able to contact her. Right? If he wasn’t able to call her from his phone, were they pulling other privileges from him? Could he even see her today? Would they pull the whole wedding all together, assuming she wasn’t fit for the part? Or that he wasn’t? His stomach suddenly felt very sick. He saved the files he was working on and shut down his computer.

“I think maybe I should go see her. See if she knows anything about this. If I’m not allowed to see her, surely someone would have told me or there will a guard outside her room or something…right?”

“Sure? Like I said Iggy, I’ve never seen those messages. But one way or another it means you’ve been blocked from contacting her. Whether by her or the Crown. I told you not to be stupid!”

“Well, I’m going to go find out and see what needs done to rectify this.” Ignis got up from his chair and started to walk to the door.

“Let me know how it goes, okay?” Gladio called after him.

* * *

Y/N opened her door to see Ignis standing there looking anxious. That hour went by faster than she expected. Or maybe he was early.

“Hello Princess! I’m terribly sorry to just drop in unannounced. I couldn’t seem to get any texts or calls to go through to your phone...” The poor thing sounded so unsure.

“Oh, apparently I got a new one and no one told me!” she snipped a bit sarcastically. “Cor just dropped it off.”

“A new phone?” he asked.

“Yeah. I kept getting these weird messages when I tried to text and call my friend and then it said something about locking my location and next thing I know Cor is knocking on my door. I guess I was supposed to get a new phone yesterday when I signed the contract but…well…” she trailed off, not wanting to bring everything up.

“Oh! That certainly explains things. I worried you…well, never mind. Are you ready, or did you need more time? I understand if you do. I just sort of dropped in on you.”

“No, I’m ready.”

“Okay then. You look very lovely, by the way!” Ignis took a moment to really take in her beauty. Her hair was pulled half up, with the rest down. Her curls weren’t as tight as usual, like she brushed them a bit and made them look more relaxed. She had on a long deep purple dress. The lace trim and designs across the skirt were black with small bits of white. She truly owned some of the most gorgeous dresses he’s ever seen. Girls in Insomnia didn’t wear gowns to much of anything. If they did wear long dresses, they were typically tight fitting and left little to the imagination. They also weren’t as colorful.

“Thank you,” Y/N replied, looking down a bit shyly. She wasn’t used to people complimenting her. She was never really around many people. She also felt so out of place here. She looked so vastly different from the people she saw around. To hear that someone liked and appreciated it instead of gaping at it was…nice.

“I thought maybe we could walk the streets. It’s a very lovely day out. Um, I’m not sure how comfortable your feet would be though…” Ignis glanced down at the floor where her feet were hidden by her large skirt. He couldn’t see but he imagined beautiful heels under the lace skirt.

Y/N wasn’t sure how to react. They were…”walking the streets”? This city was huge, how far were they going? Also, clearly this man didn’t realize she was raised in heels. She got her first small pair when she was only two. She didn’t even bring any other types of shoes with her. The one pair of shoes she did own that vaguely resembled tennis shoes she left back home. Home…not so much anymore, eh? Snapping herself out of her dark thoughts, she looked back at his face.

“Will we be going far?” she asked.

“Well, I thought you might want some Altissian food. Maybe something from back home would be nice for you. There are a few different places to choose from. Most all of them are in the foreign district. You’ll find a lot of food and stores catering to those not native to Insomnia. Or Lucis, really. It’s just a few short blocks over. The nice walk would also allow you to better take in the city, I do believe.”

“Fine. We’ll walk. I’ve been walking in heels my whole life. I think I’ll be fine.” She walked out into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind her. She didn’t bring much with her. A small white clutch hung from her elbow. She put the phone in her hands in the small bag that also contained her ID and a compact. She figured she would be getting a new ID as well soon enough.

As the two of them made their way down the hall, Ignis wiped his hands together a few times. He was getting a bit nervous again and his palms were starting to sweat. She hadn’t said anything their whole way to the front steps. Ignis figured if they were to have any sort of conversation, he would probably need to be the one to initiate it. As the two walked out the pedestrian gate on the sidewalk, he motioned the way for them to walk.

“This way,” he motioned to his left.

Y/N had been walking with her head held high the whole way down from her room. However, once they reached the streets, her demeanor started to change slightly. Her steps slowed a bit, although it wasn’t noticeable at first. She started messing with her fingers a bit as well. And her eyes seemed to be darting around, almost as if she were scared. She didn’t seem to be looking around and taking in the sights. Her eyes stayed level instead of looking up at the tall buildings and signs. And she was looking at the people more than anything. At one point, someone passed by them on the sidewalk a bit closer than usual and she jumped back, grabbing her chest and almost tripping as her foot left the sidewalk and landed on the soft grass instead.

“Is everything alright, Princess?” Ignis asked her, concerned.

“Don’t call me that!” she snapped. “Why would you say such a thing in public?” she scolded in a hushed voice.

“I don’t understand, Y/N,” Ignis furrowed his brows in confusion. “Is something wrong? Something I should know about?” He looked around a bit trying to spot any potential threats. He hadn’t seen anything on their walk thus far, but maybe he missed something.

“Should these people know who I am? Won’t they…try something?” she frantically asked.

“Try what exactly?”

“I don’t know, use your imagination Ignis! Kidnap me, harm me, ra…” she trailed off as her breathing started speeding up. “I didn’t even bring Bernard! What was I thinking just leaving like that?”

It suddenly dawned on Ignis what the problem was. With Noct, he never put his face out there so no one knew who he was. He frequently left the Citadel and was all the time out in public while no one had any idea he was the Prince. Y/N didn’t have her picture put out there very often, but people in Altissia knew who she was. And she rarely, if ever, left the palace. When she did, she had guards and friends with her. And the city was small enough with low crime rates, not many people feared walking the streets. Insomnia wasn’t some crime ridden city, but it was much larger, not to mention foreign. Her fear was totally warranted.

“It’s okay, Y/N. Your picture hasn’t been printed in any papers yet. The news hasn’t even mentioned your coming. It’s all pretty much Luna and Noct focused right now. I doubt anyone knows who you are, or that a princess is in the city. If anyone were to overhear me, I’m sure they would simply think it a term of endearment.”

“We need to call Bernard. I should always have him with me.”

“I can assure your safety is one of my top priorities! I would never let anyone harm you-“

“What the hell could you do if someone attacked me?” she yelled back at him.

“More than your Bernard, I’m sure,” Ignis replied, not meaning to sound as sour as he was certain he did. “I have been trained since a young boy to protect the Prince at all costs. I’m a trained member of the Royal Crownsguard and quite proficient in being aware of my surroundings. I would never let someone harm you, Y/N. You are one of my top priorities and I wouldn’t intentionally put you in any danger.”

“People keep staring! They know! I know they know!” she replied, still panicking.

“Look around a bit, Y/N,” Ignis instructed her. He was trying to find ways to calm her ever growing anxiety. “You are vastly different from all of them. People don’t normally walk around here looking as immaculate yourself. I, myself, get funny looks from time to time.”

Y/N took a moment to really look at more than just the people’s eyes and faces. They were all in jeans and t-shirts and sneakers. Some girls whore crop tops and leggings, others had shorts and flowy tops. Some barely had anything on at all. The men weren’t much to talk about. Cargo pants and jeans and t-shirts. Not a single button up or even a polo in sight. The two of them stuck out like sore thumbs. No wonder people were staring. They looked like they were from a different planet entirely. The more she stood there watching everyone, the more she realized the people were staring at her, but then going on about their day. No one was taking pictures or whispering or stopping to point. They simply gave her an odd look and kept walking. Her breathing slowly started calming down and she finally looked back at Ignis.

“If...if someone were to…do something…” she indirectly asked.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to rectify the situation,” Ignis replied solidly.

Y/N rubbed her hands down her dress a few times and started walking back down the street with Ignis at her side. She still kept her eye on everyone, but slowly became less and less jumpy and hyper aware. She finally let her eyes wander a bit to the buildings around and above her.

She had never seen buildings so tall. She remembered being intimidated by them in the car ride to the Citadel, but actually walking under them was a new experience entirely. Some of the glass windows on them was so reflective, it was almost blinding. She also couldn’t help but notice a glimmering of hexagonal looking shapes in the sky.

“What’s that?” she asked out loud.

“What exactly are you referring to?” Ignis responded, looking up to try and see what she was talking about.

“Those glittering shapes in the sky…”

“Ah, that would be the Wall.”

“The Wall? Like, an actual wall?...”

“Yes. It was erected a hundred and fifty years ago to protect Insomnia and the Crystal within from Niflheim. Every so often you may notice Nif ships firing in the sky, but do not be alarmed. The Wall keeps everything out.”

“Oh, I…I thought it was an actual wall. Like made of brick around the city. I wondered why I didn’t see any such thing.”

“No,” Ignis chuckled lightly. “It is a magic barrier. The King keeps it up using magic from the Crystal.”

“But, why only Insomnia?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why is it only over Insomnia? Why is this the only city worthy of protection? Are there not numerous other towns in Lucis being attacked by Niflheim?” Y/N asked. She may not know a lot about the other cities of the world, but she did know that Niflheim seemed to have its claws in every place on the map…except Insomnia. This would explain why. There wasn’t a simple stone wall for them to scale, there was a damn magical bubble keeping the place impenetrable.

“Well, I suppose it would be too hard on the King to keep such a large barrier in place. King Mors scaled the Wall down as means to protect the Crystal.”

“So it’s not protecting the people…just the Crytal?” Y/N asked.

“I would say if it were only protecting the Crystal, the barrier would only be over the Citadel. However, it covers the whole city.”

“No wonder so many people hate you guys,” she mumbled.

“I beg your pardon?” Ignis asked, surprised at her words.

“I always wondered why so many people in Lucis were upset when all the stories and pictures I had seen looked so great. Turns out it’s only Insomnia that is great. The rest of your country is suffering and you just keep yourselves locked up in a damn literal bubble.”

“Are the other parts of Accordo not being invaded and suffering while everyone is Altissia locks their gates and lives lives of luxury-“

“How dare you!” Y/N spun to face him angrily. “I’m sorry we don’t have magical barriers and rings and the ability to cast magical spells against our enemies thanks to a giant glowing rock in our castle! The weight of our people being harmed weighs heavily on our shoulders! And our gates are only locked to outsiders, not our own people! Not that it’s hard to get in! You just have to not sound or look suspicious and you walk right in! There aren’t armed guards shining flashlights in your eyes and circling your vehicle and questioning you for minutes on end. We aren’t scardy cats hiding in the corner of the globe under a damn dome! And then you make peace with other countries by taking their daughters and marrying them to your sons and locking them up in your precious bubble. How fucking noble!” Y/N turned and continued to stomp down the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she wasn’t going to stand around and continue to listen to Ignis’ ignorance.

“I didn’t mean to upset you so!” Ignis’ voice sounded beside her. He caught up to her quickly, not wanting her to walk away on her own. He was actually afraid he crossed a line by biting back at her the way he did. He hadn’t meant to start an argument. “Please just hear me out a moment,” he said, grabbing her elbow to try and slow her down.

“Let go of me!” Y/N ripped her arm back towards herself and stopped walking, staring at him angrily.

“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that. Please forgive me. And please forgive my harsh words a moment ago. Just as you get defensive about your country, I get defensive about mine that I have been raised to protect. I will watch my tongue from now on.”

Y/N just looked down and crossed her arms over her chest. Did people honestly think her and her family were holding up in Altissia ignoring the cries of their people across Accordo? Just sipping their tea and walking the streets without a care? Her parents were greatest conflicted by what was happening on their soil.

“Would you still like to carry on with lunch?” Ignis asked her quietly.

“Of course,” she answered glancing up at him before turning to continue her walk. “I’m starving.”

As the duo made their way to the street of foreign restaurants, Ignis began pointing out the Altissian ones to her.

“So, we have a few different choices. Please feel free to take your time deciding. We can always double back to one you seen previously. This first one here is quite popular amongst teens and young adults,” Ignis stated, pointing to the first restaurant on the corner.

Y/N glanced at the bright posters in the large windows advertising the various dishes they had to offer. It looked a lot like food cart food. Nothing that took much time to cook and there were very few tables and seats inside. But she was more upset that this food was being advertised as Altissian at all.

“This isn’t Altissian food,” she said, scrunching her nose a bit. “I mean, nice attempt but a very poor one. No one where I come from would eat this. Is it meant to be a joke?”

“Uh, no. I don’t believe so. It’s a fast food place so there’s not a lot of time going into the preparation. I think it’s more meant to resemble Altissian food rather than exactly be it.”

“Fast food? It looks like cart food. However, I dare say even our cart food has more heart and soul in it than this.”

“I was rather hoping you didn’t want to eat here. It’s a bit bland and sloppy for my tastes. It’s meant to be a quick bite on the go when you don’t have much time. And it’s cheap.”

The next place they came to looked a bit better. A large stone angel looking statue was out front by the door. However, Y/N wasn’t recognizing a lot of the food dishes. She had seen them before and heard of them, but not in Altissia.

“This isn’t Altissian food either,” she commented.

“Really? It seems almost the most authentic. People rave about this place often.”

“I mean, it’s Accordo food, definitely. But not Altissia specifically. People on the far outskirts on the other side of the country eat this. It’s a very specific acquired taste. I’ve never much liked it.”

“I see. That is very interesting. I’ll make a note of that.”

The next few buildings also had white stone and marble storefronts and counters and large statues. It seemed every place they looked at regarding Altissian food was made to look exactly the same.

“Is this what you guys think of when you think of us? Just white stone and marble and winged statues?”

“It is what your city looks like, is it not?”

“Well, yes, but at least change it up a bit. Where’s the water? The canals are a huge part of our city. And we often dine outside on patios, not in cramped little buildings.”

“I believe I have a place you might enjoy. It’s one of my favorites. My parents used to take me there often when I was a child. In fact, we still go there for my birthday usually.”

Ignis led her down a few side streets before coming to a large outdoor restaurant. A large red canopy covered all the tables, protecting everyone from the harsh sun rays. Nicely dressed waiters bustled around bringing people’s food orders to their black iron tables. The detail carved and welded in each chair was immaculate. A gentle hint of music could be heard from speakers placed throughout the dining area.

“Well, I can’t speak for the food, but the place looks…very close to home.” Y/N commented, almost feeling for a moment like she was back in Altissia.

“I’m very glad to hear that. Would you like me to get us a table? Or should we look some more?”

“No, this will be fine. I’m too hungry to go looking much longer anyways.”

“Very well, please come with me,” Ignis smiled as he led them over to a hostess to seat them.

After being given a seat on the outer edge, per Y/N’s request, she opened her menu to see if the food would be any good. There weren’t many pictures, but what she did see surprised her. Even the names of some dishes were authentically correct.

“Good evening! May I please take your drink orders?” a handsome man in a button down red shirt and black slacks asked the couple.

“I’ll have a sweet tea please, peach flavor if you have it,” Y/N spoke first.

“Of course! And for you sir?”

“Water will be fine, thank you.”

“I will be back shortly for your food orders. Our specials are on the back of the menu.”

“I can’t believe they have peach tea. I only hope it tastes like back home.”

“Is that something you enjoy often?” Ignis asked, curious about the particular flavor.

“We use peaches in a lot of things. Drinks, desserts, even slow cooked peach pork. Peaches are primarily grown just outside of Altissia.”

“I am ashamed to say I did not know that! Fascinating!”

Ignis looked across the small round table at Y/N. If he looked hard enough, he swore he saw a hint of a smile on her lips. She seemed so much more relaxed than she had all the other times he was with her. He could even swear he heard a very light humming along with the music coming from her mouth.

“Do you know this song?” he asked.

“What?” she startled, looking up at him.

“I asked if you knew this song. It sounds very lovely and relaxing. I don’t believe I’m familiar with it.” He didn’t want to bring up that he heard her singing along. It was a gorgeous melody being played by a violin. Such a vast difference from the music he was usually subjected to when around Noctis.

“Oh, yeah. It’s by a famous violinist who often plays by the large fountain in Altissia. I haven’t had the luxury of going to see him play much but he’s played at some of the castle’s galas. My grandma was always fond of this particular song and played it for me at night before bed.”

“What a lovely story! I’ll have to look the violinist up some time!”

Ignis was glad he was able to get her to speak to him a bit. She was usually so shut off. So far his plan was working. He was hoping that getting her in a slightly familiar place surrounded by smells and sounds from home would help relax her a little. After the waiter brought their drinks and took their orders, Ignis attempted to speak with her a bit more.

“Have you received any sort of schedule yet from the court?” Ignis asked.

“Schedule?” Y/N asked confused.

“Yes. There are some classes you are too take if you remember.” Ignis really didn’t want to bring up the contract, but to an extent it couldn’t be helped.

“Classes on what?”

“Well, a few basic etiquette classes. Not that you are in need of them. Your manners are almost unmatched around here. However, certain protocol in Insomnia may be different than you are used to. It should only be a class or two, I’m sure. There’s also your self-defense classes. We believe everyone regardless of security duty should be able to defend themselves if ever separated from their shields. And with you not technically being of high royal court anymore, your security detail is…well, slim to none.”

“I have Bernard,” she argued.

“Who will be going home after we are wed. I would hate to have to worry about you every time I am not around. You aren’t required to know how to take down an army, but basic self-defense so you can escape is crucial. And then there is basic Lucian law and history. But I have been charged with instructing you on that. So, that is something we can casually discuss from time to time. No need for a formal setting if you don’t wish.”

“When do I start these classes?” she asked.

“I am not certain. Very soon, I know that. Gladio mentioned that you would be joining him soon. He usually follows a pretty strict schedule so you will be given certain times and days to work with him.”

Y/N seemed to fall quiet after that. Not exactly the most exciting subject of conversation, he supposed. But still something that needed discussing. Maybe he should move on to things that may better interest her. He wished to simply talk and get to know her, but he also knew there were pressing matters that needed addressing. Before he could speak, however, their food arrived.

“Thank you,” Y/N addressed the waiter as he set her plate down. Ignis had to admit, it looked delectable.

“What was that you ordered again?” he asked her, taking out a small notebook from his jacket pocket.

“Eggplant pasta de la vino bianca. It’s a white wine sauce with fettechini noodles and…sorry you probably don’t care what all is in it,” she trailed off, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Oh, on the contrary! I very much desire to know. It’s something I would love to try and recreate one day in the kitchen.”

“Well, I don’t know the exact spices used in the sauce other than parsley and oregano. It commonly has carrots and asparagus added to it as well, like this does, but you can add any vegetables I suppose. I think if you did it wouldn’t be the same. Some people prefer it with chicken but I always preferred eggplant. That’s how it was originally made, but veggie haters claim it needs more protein and always want to add chicken to everything,” she rolled her eyes.

“Are you not a chicken fan?”

“Oh, I’ll eat it sometimes. I just hate when it gets added to every dish. Not everything needs a big hunk of meat in it to be enjoyed.”

“I see. I shall keep that in mind as well!” Ignis smiled.

Ignis dug into his own plate of traditional Altissian risotto and let Y/N eat a few bites of her own plate before moving on to talking about the wedding.

“I have been meaning to ask you a few other things if you don’t mind,” Ignis started.

Y/N just glanced up at him as she chewed the bite she had just taken. Ignis took a quick breath not sure if the topic would anger her or not. He knew how she currently felt about the situation.

“Have you made any sort of decisions or plans regarding the wedding?” he carefully asked.

Y/N glanced down at her plate at the mention of their union.

“Like what? Am I even able to make any decisions?” she asked.

“Of course! This is your wedding.”

“No, it is Lucis’ wedding,” she retorted. “I am just a pawn in it. I’m sure our wedding colors are black and…black. My dress is no doubt some royal garb covered in skulls or something. And the flowers are whatever is in bloom that day. It’s not supposed to be anything special, remember? I’m not even a princess anymore.”

“Of course you are. Royalty is bound to blood. You were born a princess and will remain one. The title just doesn’t hold as much weight anymore as a citizen of Insomnia,” Ignis stated matter of factly. “And while the wedding may be arranged and set forth by the kingdom, it is still yours. All decisions on colors, flowers, and even your dress are entirely yours to control.”

Y/N glanced up at him. Was he serious? She was truly able to decide all those things? She assumed they would all be made for her after coming here and seeing how controlled her life was to become. She gave up the idea that she would be able to customize her own wedding. Granted, it was a bit hard picking out love songs about a man you didn’t actually love or even know.

“Do you have any ideas?” Ignis asked her.

“Of course. Every girl dreams of her wedding since she is a little kid. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to have everything I wanted.”

“Well, I shall help you get as much of your list as I can,” Ignis smiled gently at her.

“I don’t know if I want some of it anymore…” she trailed off, looking back down at her plate as she moved some noodles around with her fork.

“Well, we can start with a small list and work our way up. Did you pick out a dress before coming here?” Ignis asked.

“No. Altissian princesses and queens adorn a specific gown when marrying. All the women in my family have worn it. You must be royal blood to wear it. So, my brother’s wife won’t be able to.”

“That sounds historically beautiful. Will they be sending the dress here for you to wear?”

“No…I can’t wear it. I’m no longer allowed. I redacted my citizenship, remember? And I’m not marrying an Altissian citizen in the royal palace. The dress never leaves the Great Hall, even when in storage. I’ll never be able to wear it…” Y/N could feel tears begin to prick at her eyes. Ignis almost regretted even bringing it up.

“Well, we have some beautiful dresses made here. There’s a large bridal shop in the eastern part of the city. Or we have royal tailors who could maybe make you something, although it’s getting a bit down to the wire. They could surely customize something you find that you like. Would you wish to go out a day shopping?”

“Alone? A bit depressing don’t you think? You’re not supposed to see it.”

“No, I’m not. I would go with you if you wished, but I understand wanting other women’s opinions and company. Are you friendly with Luna? She already has a dress but I’m sure she might be willing to accompany you. Maybe Monica? She’s the Crownsguard woman who often accompanies you around the Citadel. Gladio has a sister who loves shopping…she’s a bit young though. I’m sorry there doesn’t seem to be many females I keep in my company to help you out.”

“I wish LeAnn could be here…” Y/N quietly whispered.

“Who is that, if I may ask?”

“Oh…my best friend.” Y/N didn’t expect Ignis to hear her.

“Will she be coming to the wedding?” Ignis asked.

“Is anyone from home coming?”

Ignis looked a bit taken aback.

“Surely your family and friends would come…would they not?”

“I don’t know!” Y/N shrugged a bit exasperated. “None of them seem much interested in me anymore. I haven’t even talked to my mother since coming!”

Ignis frowned at her. Her parents haven’t spoken to her? Asked her how she has been? No wonder she was so isolated and depressed.

“I will inquire with the King about protocol and invitations. I highly doubt they wouldn’t be invited or wouldn’t want to come. This is mean to be a joining of countries not a separating.”

“Coulda fooled me…” she mumbled under her breath.

“Have you thought about anything else? Colors, flowers, cake flavors?”

“I love purple and white but I’m not allowed to wear my country’s home colors or dresses to large events, remember?”

“I don’t think that means your own wedding. I believe that was referring to specific Lucis events honoring Lucis and not to be worn as a direct snub. Again though, I will clarify with the King. I think those two colors fit you beautifully and would look lovely. I happen to fancy a shade of purple myself from time to time.”

“I don’t know if I want to talk about all this right now…” Y/N said, halting the conversation.

Ignis looked down at the plate she was staring at in front of her and noticed she hadn’t taken any more bites. He didn’t wish to upset her. Now that he at least had an idea of how much she had planned and hadn’t planned, he at least had a platform to jump from in getting everything started.

“Of course. I will make up a list of things that needs done and send it to you. If you need any assistance with any of the items on it don’t hesitate to let me know. I will gladly assist you as needed.”

“It’s your wedding too,” Y/N shrugged.

“And my only wish for it is that you are pleased and get everything you wish for.”

Y/N didn’t know how to respond so she just went back to eating. They ate in carful silence for a while. Ignis knew he had to stop all talk of the wedding or risk further angering her. He wished to talk more to her about her likes and dislikes. Her passions. Her dreams. But wasn’t sure how much she was willing to tell. She seemed to be closing back up again.

“So, other than Dandelion, have you had any other pets?” Ignis wasn’t sure what topic to choose so he went with something he knew. The look on her face made he regret bringing it up.

“How did you even know about him?” she asked, certainly surprised he knew her pet cat’s name from when she was a child.

“Oh, it was in an article I read about you when I was looking you up. I now realize in saying that out loud how stalkerish and creepy that sounds. I apologize.”

“What article?”

“I don’t remember the exact website, but I’m sure I can find it again if you wish to see it.”

Y/N sat there a moment. She wasn’t going to lie, it sounded odd hearing someone looked up information on you and was now using it for conversation. Part of her was flattered he looked anything up on her at all. She remembered him mentioning it yesterday when he brought up the picture of her he had found. But she also wanted to know how anyone got the name of her cat. She thought only her family knew its name. It never left her room, half the palace staff didn’t even know she had a pet.

“No I didn’t have any other pets. I always wanted others, but mother never allowed it. She detested them. Dandelion was never even allowed to leave my room. He was a great companion, though. I love animals. I wished to have a thousand more when I was growing up.”

“I never had any, myself. Never had the time. Noct had this little creature of some sort that would follow him around from time to time he called Carbuncle. And Luna’s dogs would visit once in a blue moon. But I never had the extra time to care for animal.”

“Do you like pets?” Y/N asked him.

“They always sort of seemed like an eternal infant to me,” Ignis shrugged. “Always needing fed and watered and pet and bagging up their feces isn’t entirely appealing to me.”

Y/N’s face fell a bit at his mention of not being fond of pets. He didn’t want her thinking he didn’t like animals though or wouldn’t allow them.

“I’m not against the idea of pets. They just never fit my personal schedule is all.”

“I see…” Y/N responded.

Before Ignis could pick a new subject to discuss, Y/N set down her fork and napkin and announced she was finished eating.

“Did you want dessert?” Ignis asked, deciding he was finished as well. He could have sat and spoken with her longer and eaten more, but he didn’t want to make her stay when she didn’t want to. And she seemed to really want to leave.

“No, I’m fine thank you.”

“As you wish. I will ask for our bill then and we can be on our way.”

As Ignis finished paying for their meal and they made their way back out onto the sidewalk, Y/N turned to him instead of walking ahead.

“Can we please get a ride back to the Citadel somehow? It’s really hot and I’m not fond of walking on a full stomach.”

“Of course! We can hail a cab if you wish.” The look Y/N gave him was one of utter disgust.

“A…taxi cab? Aren’t those filthy?”

Ignis couldn’t lie, he wasn’t quite fond of them himself. And he had been in the back of some very questionable cabs before. Not wanting to upset her or get her dress dirty he agreed a cab wouldn’t be the best idea.

“I can call and get us a ride. Just give me one moment…” Ignis rang in to the office at the Citadel and asked if a car could be sent to retrieve him and the Princess. He was assured a glaive would be sent to pick them up momentarily while on his way back from rounds.

The ride back to the Citadel was in silence. Neither felt very comfortable speaking in front of someone they didn’t know. When they were dropped off at the front steps, Ignis told Y/N he would escort her to her room. She didn’t seem to mind much either way. When they reached her door, she decided she should at least thank him for lunch.

“Thank you for the lovely meal, Ignis. I appreciated it. It was…nice to be out of here. And around something familiar.”

“You are most welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I would love to do it again at your earliest convenience. Just let me know when you would like to go out again. Oh! Speaking of, if you wouldn’t mind texting me again with your new number.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll do that.”

“Okay well, have a wonderful evening. Maybe I will see you at dinner.” Ignis bowed. He contemplated grabbing her hand and placing a gentle kiss on the top of it before walking back down the hall, but didn’t want to be too forward after their first time out together.

As he made his way back into his office, he noticed Gladio sitting there waiting for him with a Cheshire cat grin on his face. .

“Soooooo…how did it gooooo?” his friend cooed, wanting all the details.

Ignis just rolled his eyes as he took his seat. Before he could answer, he felt his phone vibrate and took it out to see an unfamiliar number had messaged him.

**_ 98-5687-113: _ ** **_Thanks again for lunch. I needed that._ **

Ignis smiled and responded before saving the number to his contacts.

“Quite lovely actually…” Ignis informed his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, I am SOOO sorry for the late posting. I ended up going away last weekend to a place with zero reception for miles. The house I was at was on a mountainside with no internet at all. I also didn’t have my laptop with me to post, but my mental health really needed the getaway. Then my kid started school this week and we are schooling at home so things have been nuts and THEN I was so insanely sick this weekend, I could barely sit in my computer chair to even proofread and get this chapter out. So I sincerely apologize for bumming anyone out. 
> 
> Second, I reeled in some of the angst for this chapter. Our princess was originally WAY more of a brat but I gave our sweet boy a bit of a break before she acts up again. I figure the last couple chapters were so heavy we needed a bit of a break. Not a big one, but a little one lol Also think of that first “restaurant” as an American taking someone who is Mexican or Spanish to a Taco Bell. Lol 
> 
> So many people hated the contract signing and even REALLY hate King Regis. That was meant to be a really jarring chapter, however, I don’t mean for people to hate Regis. If anything, hate the royal court who more so wrote the thing. You will see more on them later when our princess sits in as her new place on the court and you will learn Regis isn’t the bad one here lol 
> 
> Thanks again for all the love and comments. The next month is really busy for me but I will do everything I can to proofread and edit the chapters I have and get them out on time!


	10. Chapter 9

Ignis stood at the stove stirring a pot of beef stew. Noctis had decided he wanted to stay in tonight instead of dining in the Dining Hall. He’s slowly been joining his father less and less. Ignis had a feeling his dedication to his duties and father wouldn’t last that long. He wasn’t really one for going out of his room unless it was for play. Ignis was trying to keep a hand stirring while the other was scrolling through websites on his phone. Luna was joining them for dinner and plans for the wedding had been brought up. Ignis had been spending the majority of his free time the past week looking up flower shops, dress shops, thinking up menu ideas…. After speaking with Y/N, he realized nothing had been planned yet. And with no help from her friends and family at home, he wasn’t sure if things would get done in time if just left up to her.

With no one from her home seeming interested and too far away to do too much, he knew the sadness of the situation would make Y/N less likely to even want to plan any parts of the wedding. He was making it his mission to help her in any way he could. He wanted her day to be just as magical as every other bride’s. He wasn’t ignorant to what she was feeling. He knew how opposed to the wedding she was. But he thought that maybe if he could make the whole process easier and just as great for her as it would have been if circumstances were different…maybe she wouldn’t hate it so bad.

“Luna, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Ignis said out loud when he heard the couple stop speaking behind him for a moment. “Would you say you got along well with Y/N?”

“We never knew each other before the boat ride together to Lucis. I wouldn’t say we didn’t get along. I just haven’t had much of a moment to speak with her other than a few times on the trip here. She seemed very defensive and easily angered every time I approached her, but I know she didn’t mean it intentionally.”

“I’ve literally seen her twice and both times she was a bi-…” Noctis coughed to cover the insult he was about to call her. “not really…nice.”

Ignis glared at his friend knowing what he was about to say. He truly hated when people just assumed she was this terrible person based on a few lashings out during very emotional moments. Even though it had been a few days since he had spoken with or seen her, the last time they were together was actually very nice. He knew she could be a very lovely person when she wasn’t feeling in a pit of despair.

“I simply ask because when I last spoke with her, she hadn’t gotten much done in the line of preparing for the wedding. It seems her mother and friends aren’t very involved in her life right now. She doesn’t even have a dress yet.” Ignis paused a moment, hating to put any more pressure on Luna. “I know you are very busy with your own wedding plans but I wondered if you were at all free and willing to help Y/N go dress shopping?”

“I would be very pleased to!” Luna exclaimed. “What girl doesn’t like shopping?”

“Excellent! Thank you!” Ignis let out a breath of relief. He only hoped Y/N would be okay with it. “If there is a day or time that is best for you let me know and I will get the two of you in touch.”

“She seriously hasn’t done anything yet?” Noctis asked.

“As I mentioned earlier, she hasn’t had any help. I also discovered she wasn’t aware she had any say in the wedding planning. She thought she was simply a participant. I’m helping her where I can.”

“Helping her or doing it for her?” Gladio piped in from his spot on the couch where he had been reading.

“I haven’t picked a single thing out for her. Simply sending her lists of various shops to get ahold of or options she may like. However, may I remind you that it is my wedding as well and I am open to doing anything for her that she needs.”

“You make too many excuses for her,” Gladio replied.

“I think he’s being sweet,” Luna said.

That made Ignis feel a bit better. He was always afraid he would be stepping on her toes by making the decisions he was or even picking out shops he thought best to obtain décor from. Hearing another woman praise his actions made him feel better about them.

Suddenly his phone chimed on the counter. When he looked at the text, a small pain hit his chest.

**Y/N: You weren’t at dinner tonight**

Ignis picked up his phone and read over the text a few times. Y/N rarely, if ever at all, joined everyone to eat in the Dining Hall. She always just ate in her own room. Tonight it seems she decided to join everyone. He now regretted his decision to come to Noct’s place and cook for him as asked. He wouldn’t turn Noct down, but he couldn’t help feeling guilty.

**Ignis: I’m terribly sorry! Noct asked me to cook for him in his quarters this evening. Had I known you were attending dinner, I would have arranged my evening accordingly. **

Ignis hoped she wasn’t too angry with him. He told her he looked forward to eating with her each day, knowing it was the best times to see her. He was usually busy all day and evening and didn’t have much spare time to go out. His schedule started freeing up when Noct moved back to the Citadel and took some responsibilities for himself, but that was slowly fading back into Noct’s normal lazy routine he had before.

**Y/N: So I’m supposed to tell you every time I choose to do something? You told me you hope to see me “each day”. I finally decide to go down to the dining hall and have an awkward dinner with the king and his shield and Cor! **

Ignis winced a bit. It was intimidating enough for someone who knew the King to eat with him. He couldn’t imagine someone who didn’t having to sit in his presence alone that long. There wasn’t a single familiar face in that room, unless she brought Bernard with her. Not to mention, the last time she had been in the presence of those three men, things hadn’t gone so well.

**Ignis: I am terribly sorry again! Perhaps I should have told you I wouldn’t be there this evening in case you decided to come. I will inform you from here forward when I plan to be absent.**

**Y/N: I’m literally never going down there again. I wanted to die! Do you know how embarrassing it was?**

Ignis felt bad for angering her again. He was making such progress with her lately and really hoped this didn’t derail things.

**Ignis: I would be more than honored to make it up to you tomorrow by taking you out for dinner. We can go to the restaurant you liked or find another. Perhaps a new taste, such as Tenebrae. **

Ignis stood a moment looking at his phone. Y/N didn’t seem to be answering him back. Was she so mad at him she wasn’t going to speak to him now?

**Ignis: I have also compiled a few lists of places to go wedding shopping at. Maybe we can hit one or two of them up while we are out.**

Still silence.

**Ignis: I spoke with Luna as well. She said she is more than willing to go dress shopping with you, if you would like! **

Ignis stood staring at his phone, a feeling of unease still circling in his stomach.

“-ecs. Specs. IGNIS!” he heard his name being shouted.

Startled, he looked up from his phone to see Noctis giving him an odd look and looking over at the stove. Glancing to where his friend was looking, he noticed the pot almost boiling over and a burning smell lingering in the air. He quickly turned the burner down and started stirring the stew around, wincing when he felt a thickness stuck to the bottom. He was always so carful never to let his soups stick. He honestly hated when people were too careless or lazy to stir their pots and allowed it to stick to the bottom and burn. It also made for a pain to clean up and scrub from the pot.

“What the hell had you so sucked in? You never burn food!” Noctis commented.

“Apologies. Y/N was texting me and was upset,” Ignis replied.

“When is she ever not?” Gladio rolled his eyes.

“It was a flub on my part. She expected me at dinner tonight and I wasn’t there.”

“If you told her you would be at dinner, why didn’t you tell me when I asked you to cook?” Noct asked. “Or just text her you wouldn’t be there?”

“I didn’t specifically make plans with her tonight. She went expecting-“

“She just assumed you would be somewhere and you weren’t?” Gladio asked. “No reason to be pissed at someone.”

“No it’s just…I had mentioned to her before about seeing her at dinner and-“

“And she assumed you would be waiting around on her?”

“No it’s…You don’t understand but I don’t expect you to,” Ignis sighed. “It truly was a mistake on my part.”

“Whatever you say man. I still say that girl is a pain in the ass.”

“Thank you for your commentary, Gladio, although it isn’t appreciated,” Ignis replied, getting out the bowls to serve everyone.

He had tasted the soup before dishing it out. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to taste as burnt as it smelled. He hoped no one else was able to taste it differently. The four of them gathered at the table to eat together.

“I again apologize if it doesn’t taste as well. It seemed fine to me when I tested it. Forgive me for not being as attentive,” Ignis told everyone as they began to eat.

“It’s really not a big deal, Ignis,” Luna said sweetly. “We all make mistakes. I’m sure it will still taste fine.”

“You’re normally better at multitasking,” Noct commented. “Was she that pissed at you about dinner?”

“She hasn’t texted me back yet,” Ignis replied. “As someone who keeps to herself a lot and doesn’t have anyone here she knows, I feel it was a very big deal to her.”

“I still think being mad about dinner is stupid,” Gladio said. “I told you, girls pull that shit all the time. Why they got to be so mad when the guy cancels?”

“I didn’t cancel on her, Gladio. I simply didn’t show up. I feel there is a difference.”

“But there was never a solid plan about meeting for dinner, was there?” Gladio asked matter of factly.

Ignis chose to ignore his friend instead of arguing with him. Gladio didn’t seem to understand the issue at hand and he wasn’t going to keep arguing it with him. So he just kept eating his soup without a word.

“I can’t wait to see if she’s this feisty and argumentative with the council tomorrow, That should be interesting to see someone put those old geezers in their place,” Noct said as he ate another spoonful of soup. “Ah, Specs! I said no onions! I always say no onions! You know I always find them! Yuck!”

Ignis shot his gaze over to his friend, staring at him wide eyed. He honestly didn’t even hear the complaint about the onions. He was focused on the first part of what Noct had said.

“She’s joining the council tomorrow?” Ignis asked.

“Yeah. She was sworn in earlier today and her first meeting is tomorrow. Hope she likes boring old men talking about crap no one understands or cares about.”

Ignis set his spoon down beside his bowl and held his head in his hands. No wonder she was so upset. She had gone through another major milestone in her new life today and he had no idea how she felt about it. She also probably wanted to talk about what to expect tomorrow. And Ignis wasn’t there. She needed his support and he wasn’t there for her. He no longer even felt hungry.

“Uh, you alright Iggy?” Gladio asked from his left.

Ignis took out his phone and started texting Y/N again.

“I’m really no good at this, am I?” he quietly asked himself. Gladio happened to hear him though.

“The hell are you talking about? She sending shitty messages again?”

“No Gladio!” Ignis scolded. “I know why she was so upset now. I should have…I _needed_ to be there for her tonight.”

“She’s a grown adult, Iggy. She needs to learn to handle things on her own,” Gladio told him, slurping at his soup.

“Based on all your assumptions and opinions of the matter, I don’t expect you to understand our relationship-“

“No one does! It doesn’t even seem like it exists!” Noct chimed in.

“You have your own relationship to focus on. I don’t expect you to know anything about mine!” Ignis told Noct.

“I have the most experience with girls at this table, and I don’t understand a single part of it. I keep telling you Ig, you bit off more than you can chew with this one,” Gladio stated.

“Yes, as you have told me multiple times before. And as I just said, you simply don’t understand what the two of us have or how it works,” Ignis grumbled, getting angry.

“Honestly Specs, how many times have you even hung out with her? Or talked to her?” Noct asked.

“I am giving her space! I have explained that before.”

“Girls don’t want space,” Gladio said. “They want attention. Like, all of it! All the time.”

“She’s very withdrawn right now and understandably so. She needs to get used to everything and everyone-“

“That includes you!” Gladio interrupted. “In fact, most importantly you! And weren’t you just going on this week about how much you feel you messed up by giving her space and leaving her alone? If she’s the one pushing you away, you should really rethink-“

“I’m not rethinking anything! I agreed to this and I’m seeing it through-“

“You don’t have to still marry her, ya know,” Noct said. “Tell my dad it’s not working. He’s not gonna force you into something doomed to fail.”

“So then she’s passed on to Gladio, who obviously has a strong dislike for her? Absolutely not! And this isn’t doomed to fail! I will make sure of that! Relationships take time! They can’t be forced or rushed into! The wedding is happening regardless, but as for how quickly or slowly our bond develops is up to us!” Ignis yelled.

“I think Ignis is right,” a small feminine voice spoke from the table. Everyone’s eyes suddenly moved to Luna. They had forgotten for a moment she was there and were ashamed of their shouting. “Only he truly knows what the two of them have and only he can figure out how it works. It is not our place to judge that or criticize it.”

“Thank you, Luna,” Ignis replied softly, looking down at the table.

“I’m sorry for doubting you, Specs,” Noct told his friend. “I just wished you had found a girl you loved and enjoyed. This seems so stressful on you.”

“I do like and enjoy her, though. Very much so. And I wish nothing more than to love her. And I truly feel I will.”

“Do you like her, though…or the idea of her?” Gladio asked seriously.

Ignis sat there a moment contemplating what he said. He had been asked something similar to this before and assured his friends he really did like her. After being with her a bit and seeing how she was, he felt he understood her in a very different way than everyone else. He knew her anger was pain. Her harsh words were fear. Her withdrawing was deep sadness. He took none of it personally anymore. He just simply had to hold out a bit. She could come around. He just knew it. He just had to wait. And he would.

“I like her. I very much so like her,” Ignis replied softly.

“It’s your life, man,” Gladio shrugged, going back to his dinner.

Noct didn’t want to upset his friend anymore, so he went back to eating as well. The rest of the night, everyone avoiding conversation about Y/N. They hoped for a day though when her name wouldn’t be such a touchy subject.

* * *

“Thank you so much, Y/N thanked the staff member that escorted her to the meeting room. She hated that she still needed escorted around the Citadel because she was always lost. This place was so damn big. It wouldn’t be so bad if she could at least remember what floor certain rooms were on.

She stood outside the door, a little afraid to go in. She had never had to do something like this. She never attended any meetings or discussions on foreign and political affairs before. She had some education on it growing up to prepare her to take the throne, but all she knew was strictly about Accordo and Altissia. She was afraid of making a fool of herself. She could really use her mother’s advice right now. She had yet to be able to get ahold of her but still thought she at least needed to try before going inside.

She pulled her phone out and dialed her mother’s personal phone. It rang and rang and rang. Eventually, it went to voicemail. She knew if she left a message, it wasn’t guaranteed her mother would call her back, especially before the meeting started. But she decided to leave one anyways.

“Hey mom! I’m, um, about to meet with the council for the first time. On the council I mean. I just…was really hoping to talk to you before all this. I’m not sure exactly what I’m doing and thought maybe you could guide me a bit. Either way, when you get this can you please call me back? Thanks. Bye.”

She hung up the phone and decided to call her mother’s personal quarters. Maybe she was in and would answer that phone. After multiple rings, she just hung up. There was no answering machine in the palace. She decided as a last resort to call the Palace Headquarters. Surely someone there could get ahold of her mother.

“Altissia Palace, keep in mind all calls are recorded, this is Mellany speaking how may I assist you?”

“Hey Mellany,” she greeted. She remembered the dark haired girl that usually worked the front desk. “It’s Y/N. Can you please connect me to my mom? I can’t seem to get ahold of her.”

“Oh, um, she isn’t available right now. I’m sorry Princ-…Y/N.”

Y/N cocked her head at the weird correction. Were they instructed not to call her Princess anymore? Had word gotten out that she had moved and wasn’t a royal citizen anymore?

“Can you tell her to call me as soon as she can please? It’s important,” she asked.

“I will pass the message on for you,” Mellany responded.

“Thanks.” Y/N hung up, upset that she could never seem to get ahold of her mother and she still had yet to reach out to her.

“You ready for this crap?” a young man’s voice sounded from behind her, startling her a bit.

Y/N turned to see Noct standing there.

“I don’t even know what to expect. I’ve never done anything like this before…” she informed the Prince.

Noct took a good look at her. He hadn’t really ever talked to her before now. Just when they first met the day she arrived. He had to admit, she was very pretty. He could see why Ignis was attracted to her. Her attitude always turned him off though. She seemed so different right now, however. Almost scared and unsure of herself. She was once again dressed in a long gown. Did she think she had to dress this way, or was it honestly how she liked to dress? He always wondered.

“Expect a bunch of old grumpy men barking about politics. One wants to do one thing. Someone else wants to do another. They think they know what’s best for everyone and think they make all the rules,” Noct shrugged.

“Will your father be coming?” she asked.

“Nah. He’s not technically allowed. I mean, he’s the King and allowed anywhere, but it’s frowned upon. These guys are supposed to be a way of keeping the king in check or whatever. Making sure he’s not being too power hungry and leading us in the wrong direction. I think these guys often forget my dad has final say in everything. They’re the ones who wrote all that shit you had to sign. So if you wanna be mad at anyone for it, don’t be mad at my dad. He felt kinda bad about last week.”

Y/N just looked at him a moment. So these guys were the ones who were at fault for everything happening? Were they the reason she was here instead of King Regis? Noct said his dad had final say in everything, so it was still his decision though, right? He had to have read over the contract and known how harsh it was. He had to have put the final stamp on her coming here. As far as she was concerned, he was still at fault. However, she suddenly felt a lot worse about entering a room full of people who decided her fate and weren’t too kind about it.

“Are there no women on the council?” she couldn’t help but asked. She did come from a country ruled by women for centuries.

“Uhhh two I think? Ruth and…ummmm, Glenda. Pretty sure that’s their names.”

“That’s it?”

“Yup. Told ya, bunch of old men!” Noct shrugged. “We should get in there though. These people hate when anyone is late. Believe me, I would know.” Noct started walking in the room but stopped and turned around. “Oh, and uh…don’t be mad at Specs, okay? He felt bad last night he missed dinner with you. You should answer his texts. He told me to wish you luck today.”

With that, Noct finished walking into the room. Y/N stood a few more moments outside as men walked passed her and through the door. Ignis! That was it! He would know what she needed to do in there. She should call him. She had been ignoring the texts he sent her all evening. Before she could get her phone out though, someone interrupted her.

“You must be Y/N,” a middle aged man approached her.

“Um, yes…” she answered sounding unsure of herself.

“Come, I’ll show you to your seat,” he ushered her though the door. “Everyone has assign seats in here. It makes attendance and record taking easier. You will be sitting here, on the third floor.” He guided her up a few stairs to the third level platform.

The room was the same as the one her contract signing was in. It had the half circle of seats on multiple levels with a table set before them all on the floor. Seated at the table was a secretary to take notes, Noctis, Cor, and Drautos. She thanked the man who brought her to her seat and sat down. A glass of water sat in front of her and a name plate that read: Princess Y/N Rep Accordo & Altissia/Global. She remembered being told she would be there to represent her home country as well as global affairs. They wanted an “outsider” to give input to better help them make negotiations or deals. She wasn’t sure what help she would be though. Before the meeting started she really wanted to call Ignis. She got her phone back out and hit the little phone icon by his name. It only took one ring for him to answer.

 _“Y/N? Are you alright?”_ he answered, sounding concerned. She never called him, so the sudden call was alarming to him.

“Yes, um…I’m fine I guess,” she answered back a bit shaky from nerves.

_“Did you find the Council Room alright? I can send for someone to escort you if you need it.”_

“No, I found it. Thank you. I um…I wanted to talk to you before the meeting. I have no idea what I’m doing! I wanted to talk to you last night, but you weren’t there!” she could hear the tears that were starting to prick in her eyes in her voice. She hated sounding as desperate as she did now.

 _“I know,”_ Ignis sighed on the other end of the phone, hating that she was this nervous because of him. It wasn’t his fault directly, but he couldn’t help taking the blame. _“I’m sorry. It didn’t dawn on me why you were so upset last night until later. What do you need to know? I can help you real quick right now.”_

“What do I even do? What do I say?” she frantically asked.

_“Best words of advice are don’t speak unless spoken to. The council feels they are above everyone and hate being spoken over. Try not to get upset about things they say. They have no couth. I would instead suggest keeping quiet and coming to me about issues you may have. I can maybe better explain things. If asked a question or spoken to, just reply the best you can. Keep your manners intact. Like I said, you can always bring issue back to me to discuss.”_

“Good morning!” an older male voice spoke beside her. She glanced over at the man as he took his seat. “No phones allowed during the meeting. You have to put it away.”

“Okay um…I was told to get off the phone,” she told Ignis through the receiver.

 _“You’re already seated?”_ Ignis asked, sounding surprised. _“Yes, you need to hang up at once! No phones are allowed out during the meeting. They think you’re recording it or having someone else listen in. You can get in a lot of trouble. Call me as soon as you are finished, is that alright?”_ Ignis asked.

“Yeah…I guess,” she replied quietly.

_“Good luck, Y/N. I’m sure it will all go well.”_

Y/N didn’t get a chance to respond before the phone line went dead. She felt a bit insulted he hung up first, and before she said goodbye. He seemed to really stress she shouldn’t be on her phone, though. She tucked the phone away in her small clutch and looked around the room. Noct looked like he was about to fall asleep. His head was propped up on his hand. Did he honestly have no manners at all? All the seats were full. Directly across from her on the other side of the half circle was Luna. Her plaque read similar to hers. She was also meant to be a global representative. Luna caught her glance and smiled and waved at her. Y/N raised her hand slightly and gave a small wave back. A man in a long black robe pounded a gavel scaring her enough to make her jump a bit in her seat.

“Order of the Council. Meeting beginning at nine o’clock AM. Let the record show full attendance is in session. Let the record show this is the first meeting with two new members sworn in yesterday. Let us welcome Oracle Luna of Tenebrae, future Queen of Lucis, Tenebrae and global representative. Let us also welcome former Princess Y/N of Accordo and Altissia respectively, current citizen of Lucis and Insomnia respectfully, Accordo and global representative. “

 _What a mouthful,_ Y/N thought. Was she required to introduce herself as such to anyone? She wasn’t sure she could even remember all that. They really loved throwing that “former princess” in there too, didn’t they?

The meeting began with a bunch of old business and meeting minutes being discussed. She was having trouble really keeping her attention on what was being said. None of it mattered or made much sense to her. She discovered Cor and Drautos were there to give military reports. Things were a lot worse than she imagined. For all she knew, the territories kept to themselves. Niflheim was slowly but surely wanting to conquer the other two countries but she had a feeling a lot of what she had been told was sugar coated. Niflheim was sworn enemies of Lucis. She simply thought they didn’t get along well. Surely Regis wasn’t naïve enough to think a simple marriage to Luna was going to help that, did he? And where the hell did Accordo come into play in all this? Simply a way to keep us on their side? They thought if the princess of our land married into their country, we would protect them? Fight with them? This all seemed so absurd. Hearing the reports of casualties and not only soldiers but giant beasts being fought at some wall was frightening. Wasn’t The Wall an impenetrable magical barrier? Why were they fighting and dying at it then? She was trying to wrap her mind around things when she heard herself being addressed.

“Talks with Altissia are still as difficult as ever. We’re lucky to have gotten the contract signed and sent over in a timely manner. However, all calls and communication attempts seem to be falling through. Princess Y/N, do you have any insight into why Altissia refuses communications with Insomnia at the present time?”

“Ummm…” she started, hating that she sounded so unsure. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s intentional.”

“Queen Rebecca has yet to return our calls or even e-mails. Wasting resources on physical letters seems absurd when a simple call can be made. Your country has the technology, even you yourself have been in contact with those from your former home. Is there some grudge we are unaware of?”

“I honestly couldn’t say, Sir,” she responded, trying to keep her manners in check as Ignis instructed. “She has yet to even return my own calls.”

She almost wondered if that was the wrong thing to say. Everyone seemed to turn their full attention to her after she said that. A few of them glanced between themselves and a mild murmuring could be heard. The Head Council Man seemed shocked and bit upset by her words.

“Interesting…” he said, taking a few notes. “Regis must be made aware of Accordo’s refusal to communicate. Perhaps our predictions of this union were wrong. We must plan accordingly. Moving on…”

Y/N head wasn’t sure what to do with that statement. Refusal? Plan accordingly? They didn’t think her country was plotting against them, did they? She hoped they weren’t upset to the point of negative action against her mother. She really needed to get ahold of her now and let her know what was said. But her calls were monitored! How was she going to do that? She was brought back to the meeting again when the talk of marriage was heard.

“Prince Noctis and Oracle Luna are to be wed the end of next week.”

Was it really that soon already? Had she been here that long? She still had next to nothing planned for her wedding, which was now in just over a month! She really should get with Ignis about it. She had purposely been putting it off for so long. Hoping and praying something would happen to just cancel it all.

“Royal law states the two are to produce an heir within two years of marriage. Unless The King is to depart the world before the two years are up, then the production of an heir becomes immediate. You are aware and accept this, correct Luna?”

“Yes, of course,” she answered softly into the mic with a smile.

_Production of an heir? What a way to word it._

“At the time of conception, Prince Noctis’ Shield is also to produce an heir within a year. Those agreements have also been addressed and agreed upon. Now, with the combining of nations, a new concept not before conducted in such a manner, new law has been written regarding both back up heirs as well as foreign heirs.”

Y/N squinted her eyes a bit. What on Eos were they talking about? Coming from royalty, she knew all about producing heirs to the throne. She never heard it blatantly discussed before though. She also assumed no longer being royal, it was no longer her concern.

“Lucis has been ruled by one bloodline since its beginning centuries back. That is why production of heirs is so important. However, with only one current heir and the world in such turmoil as things get worse and worse each day, if the bloodline were to cease, Six forbid, a replacement heir must be chosen. Each King silently chooses one, this is no exception. Only the council is aware of who is chosen. King Regis has chosen years ago the replacement heir should he and his son both parish. That man chosen and already on record is Ignis Sciencia. After talks and negotiations between The King and Prince, Noctis has chosen his replacement heir should he and his descendant parish. That individual chosen is the future descendant of Ignis Sciencia. Thus it is written, Ignis Sciencia and Princess Y/N are to produce an heir within a year of Prince Noctis and Oracle Luna conceiving after the couple are joined in marriage next month. If the wedding doesn’t proceed, wording of the law will change to reflect Mr. Sciencia’s new bride.”

Whoa, what?? She was now **_required_** to have kids? To be honest, she never even thought about that part of the arranged marriage. She never even assumed she would grow to love her husband, let alone…have sex and create a kid with him. Ignis was turning out to be a decent guy, she supposed, but she was nowhere near any talk of kids with him. She almost assumed she would live alone in her room of their place for the rest of her life.

“Concerning the new law around foreign heirs, it is written that if Former Princess Y/N’s parents and sibling parish before a new heir is produced, her child is heir to the Accordo throne. This is after much consideration and investigation is concluded regarding the deaths of said individuals. However, hear that it is written according to Lucian Law, if the heir of the Lucis throne falls on the descendant of one Ignis Sciencia and Princess Y/N, that heir is first to serve Lucis above any and all other countries and territories respectfully as King chosen heir. Refusal will result in direct retaliation of Lucis and therefore declaration of war against Lucis.”

What the hell?? This all sounded so extreme and insane! Her blood was slowly beginning to boil. None of this was explained to her. Well, that she could remember. Was this in her contract? Surely she would remember it? Noct was right. These people were cruel and intense. She was basically being forced to hand her kid over, even if she returned to Altissia. Were they even able to go back home with her if she returned? She needed to know.

“Excuse me!” she piped up, not even caring at this moment if it was rude. All eyes flew to her. “I have a question!”

“Yes?” the Council Head asked her with a sour face.

“Say I were to hypothetically return to Altissia at the demise of both my parents and brother. Would my child be able to come with me and Ignis?”

“Mr. Sciencia would not be able to accompany you and neither would your child. Ignis is a sworn citizen of Insomnia and Royal Crown member. He is sworn to this land regardless. Your marriage would be dissolved. As for your child, he would be raised a Lucian until Prince Noctis’ child produces an heir, thus canceling your child as being in line for the throne when they choose their own replacement heir.”

“So…I go back alone?”

“That is correct. Any other questions?”

Y/N shook her head back and forth, afraid to speak. She wouldn’t lash out. She wouldn’t lash out. She kept trying to keep her anger and sadness at bay. Shouting had gotten her next to nowhere so far. She normally wouldn’t let that hold her back, but she was trying to make at least a small attempt to fit into her new life. Screaming during her first council meeting wouldn’t help that. She couldn’t hold back the tears though. She tried to quietly wipe them away as the meeting continued. She couldn’t tell you what was said the rest of the meeting, though. She didn’t even care to anymore. When the gavel slamming once again scared her, she saw everyone getting up and realized the meeting was over.

She sat still a moment getting herself together best she could, and thinking that if she let the room empty a bit, the chances of people wanting to talk to her would be slim. She made eye contact with Noctis as he was finishing up a text on his phone. He gave her a small, flat smile before turning and leaving the room himself. It wasn’t a few seconds after that her phone vibrated. She dug it out to see a text from Ignis.

**Ignis: What happened?? Are you alright?? Please call me when you get a chance. **

Did Noctis text Ignis telling him she was upset? How else would he have known? She wanted to first call LeAnn, but she still had yet to tell her everything upsetting that happened last week. She didn’t feel like getting into it all right now with her yet. She decided to first leave the Council Room before calling Ignis. She didn’t have the energy to text all she wanted to say.

As she started down the hall and got a little ways from everyone filing out, she pulled her phone back out and dialed Ignis’ number.

 _“What happened?”_ he answered in a rushed voice laced with concern.

“I need to talk to you! Like, NOW!” she angrily said into the phone as the tears started once again falling down her cheeks.

 _“Of course. What made you so upset? Did they say something to you?”_ he asked, assuming she wished to speak on the phone with him.

“Can you please meet me somewhere?” she cried in a softer voice, feeling a bit guilty for yelling at him.

Ignis was quiet a moment before responding. He was a bit shocked she wanted to see him in person. She usually kept locked away by herself, especially when upset. He was quite glad she was asking to see him, even if she would end up yelling at him.

 _“Absolutely! I can come to your room, if you wish and would be more comfortable?”_ he asked. She could hear him gathering up his desk work in the background and preparing to leave immediately.

“That’s fine I guess. I just….urghhhh!!!” she half screamed into the phone. She didn’t even know what else to say right now.

 _“I’ll be there soon. We’ll discuss this and figure it out, okay?”_ Ignis assured her.

Y/N didn’t know if she could say anything more. Her throat was so tight with emotion she just hung up and stomped back to her room. She hoped she remembered the way back. She was so sick of constantly being rattled and upset like this. Every time she took a small step forward, something sent her reeling backwards. She wasn’t sure how many more blows she could take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleh! Political talk continues! Fear not, with the exception of a few meetings mentioned and attended briefly in the future and the events of Kingsglaive movie happening, this is the last of all the technical jargon brought up. The rest focusses on the weddings, friends getting to know our princess, her and Gladio having some interesting interactions, and of course her and Ignis’ relationship blooming. Well… it does some interesting things before it officially “blooms” lol. I don’t think you guys will hate it all though hehe Through the angst and hatred comes some…fun. I’m just as anxious to post some of those chapters as you are to read them. 
> 
> Quick note, I will be on vacation Wednesday for a week. If the next chapter isn’t posted next Sunday night, it will be posted as soon as I get home. I should have WiFi but have no idea how spotty it will be or how busy I will be. Thanks again for reading!


	11. Chapter 10

Ignis quickly made his way down the hallway to Y/N’s door. She sounded so upset on the phone and he was worried what may have been said to her. Was the council mean to her? Was she treated badly? He asked Noctis to keep an eye on her and let him know if anything went awry. When he got the text from his friend that he should get ahold of Y/N, he knew something was wrong. He was hoping it was some kind of misunderstanding or something she simply disliked about the kingdom that he could explain to her. He wasn’t sure there was much he could do if she was treated poorly. All those men were levels above him and he had no rights to even approach them concerning attitude adjustments or kindness.  
  
When he arrived at her door, he knocked impatiently, rubbing his hands together a bit. He kept telling himself that even if this conversation went badly, it was still a big step that she even wished to speak with him at all. She had a habit of bottling up her problems and hiding away from everyone. He wanted nothing more than for her to open up to him and let him in. This was at least a step in that direction. It wasn’t long before the door opened and her tear streaked face greeted him.  
  
“What happened?” He asked her as soon as she was in his view. “May I come in?”  
  
She stepped aside and allowed him to enter her room. After asking her what had happened, it dawned on him that this was probably a conversation they shouldn’t be having in the open hallway. After letting him inside, she shut the door and crossed her arms, pacing back and forth in front of her mirrored dresser. Ignis stood in the middle of the room patiently waiting for her to begin.  
  
“Before I get to my biggest problem, I have a few questions about stuff I don’t really understand,” she began.  
  
“Certainly. I’ll do my best to answer them,” Ignis replied.  
  
“So this...wall. I thought you told me nothing could penetrate it?”  
  
“Nothing can. That I am aware of at least.”  
  
“So then tell me why so many people are dying fighting monsters at this wall!”  
  
Ignis drew his brows together a bit in a frown.  
  
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”  
  
“Drautos and Cor were there giving military reports of all the soldiers, or whatever you guys call them here, dying and all the giant behemoths and various other monsters everyone is fighting! It’s a complete blood bath out there from the way they made it sound!”  
  
“I think they may be referring to a different wall. Not the magical barrier surrounding the city. Kingsglaives are out there fighting at a physical wall, yes. There are still other people in Lucis to protect. You yourself brought them up a few days ago. It also helps keep the strain down on the King the less that is attacking the wall. It already takes a lot out of him to simply erect and maintain it. Each hit it takes has a toll on him.”  
  
Y/N stood a few moments in silence thinking over what he had said. It made sense. If attacking the wall made it vulnerable, they should keep the attacks to a minimum. And it seemed they were trying to keep the fighting as far from the city as possible. That Crystal meant a hell of a lot more than she originally thought. What made it so incredibly important that people died for it?  
  
“Did you have any more questions?” Ignis asked, snapping her back to his presence in the room.  
  
“Why didn’t I know how much Lucis and Niflheim hated each other?” she asked.  
  
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Ignis replied. “Is it not common knowledge that Niflheim hates most of the world? They are even enemies with Accordo, are they not?”  
  
“Yes but...you guys really hate each other! I had no idea the conflict spanned back centuries! Does Regis honestly think a marriage to Luna is just going to fix that?”  
  
“Well, to be honest the idea was Niflheim’s. They were the ones who approached us about the peace treaty.”  
  
“Peace treaty?”  
  
“Yes. After Noctis and Luna marry, a peace treaty is to be signed in the city. I think everyone is a bit on edge about it and I don’t know all the details myself, but it’s supposed to bring an end to the long never ending conflict.”  
  
“That’s absurd! That’s naive! You cannot tell me they suddenly had a change of heart for no reason!” Y/N screeched.  
  
“Again, I do not know all of the details. Only King Regis, and I imagine the council know of what all it entails.”  
  
“I still think it seems...I don’t know, fishy.”  
  
“Have they not approached Accordo with something similar?”  
  
“Not that I’m aware of. And as I said, our conflict with them doesn’t run as deep. I’m sure I would have heard something if they were talking with us. However...” Y/N trailed off a bit thinking back to another question she had. “Ignis...you wouldn’t happen to know anything about troubles with Altissia would you?”  
  
“What kind of troubles? I haven’t heard of any military unrest in your former country. Did you hear something today?”  
  
“Not necessarily. I mean...well, it was mentioned that um...no one can get ahold of anyone back home. Like, my mom isn’t answering to your guys’ communications. Do you...know anything about that?”  
  
“I do remember it being mentioned that we were attempting to get ahold of Queen Rebecca but not having much luck.”  
  
“Do you know what it was about?”  
  
“The kingdoms communicate often about various things. I’m not sure of one particular issue that is looking to be discussed. Then again, I’m not given access to all the information. Some things are kept even from me,” Ignis replied.  
  
  
“I see. You haven’t um....heard anything about me...have you?” Y/N asked hesitantly. “I mean, anything about me in Altissia?”  
  
“I’m terribly sorry to keep asking this, but I again am unsure of your exact meaning. Is there something you overheard particularly that you are asking about?”  
  
Ignis was starting to catch on to the fact that when Y/N had a particular question, she worded it in a very vague way.  
  
“Well I...I tried calling my mom this morning. Before the meeting.”  
  
This made Ignis raise his brows a bit. Last he heard, the two of them hadn’t spoken since she boarded the boat to Lucis.  
  
“Did you? It must have been nice to speak with her finally!” Ignis smiled.   
  
“We didn’t, um, talk, actually. She didn’t answer,” Y/N replied, looking down at the floor.  
  
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry to hear that,” his smile faded.  
  
“She didn’t answer her cell phone. She didn’t answer the phone in our living quarters. I couldn’t even get ahold of her by calling the palace and asking for her directly. I was told she was busy. I have never been denied access to my parents. Even if they are in important meetings, I have always had priority. They acted like I was just someone off the street wishing to speak with the Queen! She even started to call me Princess and then corrected herself. It was all so bizarre! And then I find out no one can contact her? It’s all so...weird. That’s why I wondered if you had heard anything.”  
  
“Nothing that would give me pause or cause concern. As I mentioned, the only talk about Altissia lately is the lack of communication. Is this what has you so upset?” Ignis asked. It made sense to him that she would be very upset that her mother seemed to be snubbing her. And not only her, but the entire kingdom she now belonged to.  
  
“No...no it’s not actually,” Y/N started, getting mad all over again. Ignis could see her nostrils start to flare and her movements getting more rigid and harsh as she crossed her arms again. “Did you know me and you are required to reproduce once we tie the knot?”  
  
Ignis blanched a bit at her question. This was not at all what he thought she wanted to discuss, never mind this was the first he was hearing about it.  
  
“Certainly we aren’t required to do so. There may be rules or certain stipulations you have to agree upon if we were to do so but we don’t have to-“  
  
“Oh yes! Yes we do!” She yelled back at him.  
  
Ignis was confused. He understood if they wrote up some clause about their offspring. Something assuring that the child would be of Lucian blood and having no claim to the Altissia throne. That all made sense to him. But a requirement?  
  
“What would make you say that?” He asked her.  
  
“The council said so! Apparently once Noctis has a kid, we have to do it too! I mean marriage is one thing, but this?!”  
  
“Y/N, this doesn’t even make sense to me. My apologies. Why exactly would we be required to have children? Not that I’m against the idea or do not wish to...” Ignis trailed off a bit at the odd look on her face. Perhaps now was not the time to mention his wishes to reproduce with her. “I mean, I’m just having trouble understanding why they would require it?”  
  
“Apparently it was all written there in that stupid ass contract I signed! Did you not remember that part?? I mean, I sure as hell don’t, but I can’t exactly say I was paying a whole lot of attention while he was reading it.”  
  
Ignis was trying to rack his brain for that part of the contract. He honestly wasn’t paying a lot of attention, himself. He was more worried about Y/N and the look of utter defeat on her face as the King’s voice drowned on in the background.  
  
“I’m sorry to say I do not. I’m sure I could get a copy of it though. We can figure out-“  
  
“That’s not even the worst part!” Y/N interrupted.  
  
“What else has you upset?” Ignis asked carefully.  
  
“Lucis literally owns my baby! Even if I were to be given the throne back in Altissia, not only would you have to stay here as a sworn Crown member and forced to divorce me, but my child would have to stay behind until Noctis is a damn grandfather! They would seriously take my child from me! I wouldn’t be allowed to see him!”  
  
Ignis was choosing to ignore the small leap in his heart at her mentioning being upset that he would have to stay behind if she were to have to leave. Sometimes he felt like she detested him so much that she wished he would disappear. But that tiny little slip of her tongue gave him hope.  
  
“There is no reason for them to keep him or her from you. Unless they were to be raised as a Crown member and advisor the way I was, there is no reason to keep them here,” he tried to assure her. “I believe you may have misunderstood something.”  
  
“No! I was specifically told I have no rights to them! It has something to do with the King and the chosen replacement for the throne if he dies or whatever. Like right now, the person King Regis chose is-“  
  
“STOP!” Ignis yelled, holding up his hands. “Forgive me for raising my voice, Princess. But no one is to know who that person is. Only the King himself and the Council.” He supposed with her being on the council, she would now know. But he had to make sure she knew not to share that information. “You are not to discuss that information with anyone outside of that room. If you do, it could mean dire consequences.”  
  
“Yeah, but, don’t you-“  
  
“Please, Princess, I must insist you stop. If I were to be told that information I have a responsibility to inform the King of how I acquired that information and that I now know. I do not wish to put you in that position.”  
  
His stomach started to plummet a bit at why she was so insistent of telling him who it was. Couple that with her being told her child couldn’t leave the country until other requirements were met, and he was starting to piece together a puzzle he really shouldn’t be piecing together right now. He forced himself to stop thinking about what it all meant and if he really was correct in his assumptions about the King and Noct’s chosen replacements.  
  
Y/N stood there looking at Ignis a bit oddly. Did he really not even know that he was the one chosen by King Regis? Surely they would have told him! Or asked him. Or something. She wanted to question him further but feared it somehow biting her in the ass. But how was she supposed to talk to him about this if she couldn’t even give him the crucial details?

“I believe that the circumstances you may be speaking about are one in a billion chances,” Ignis began to try and explain. “To begin with, the chances of you acquiring the Throne of Accordo are one in a million themselves.”

A flash of hurt crossed Y/N’s face and Ignis momentarily regretted stating that fact. But he had no other way of trying to calm her fears of her child being taken from her.

“I understand,” Y/N started. “It’s the principal of it all though! To know that there’s a chance I would have absolutely no rights to my own child that I myself birthed and raised. It’s asinine.”

“That is completely understandable. And I know it’s probably not much council to you right now, but know that if it ever came to that, I would raise our child well and protect him or her at all costs. I would assure that they had as much contact with you as allowed and remind them daily of how much they mean to you.”

Y/N looked at Ignis a moment with an unreadable look on her face. He was right; what he said meant little to her. But it also meant a lot if she let it. She didn’t truly know Ignis well enough to take what he said to heart, but still clung to those words he just spoke to try and ease her pain. Pain of a very highly unlikely future, as he assured her earlier. She was mostly pissed that this kingdom that seemed so peaceful and gentle and kind was being anything but to her.

“That still doesn’t take away from the fact that I am being forced to have se-…to have a child with you. That was never mentioned to me! No one ever bothered to ask me about that or even tell me! Not even my mother! Did she know about this?”

“If it was written in the contract as they stated, then yes she does. Unless she didn’t read it, but I find that highly unlikely,” Ignis quietly answered her. He was trying not to take offense to the fact she seemed so turned off by being intimate with him. He didn’t think that was something they would talk about for a while to come yet. “And, if you are truly so upset about the two of us…being together in order to create a child, there are other methods of conception we could look into. Whatever you are comfortable with.”

Y/N stared at him again. He was honestly willing to not touch her at all and go through the expense and process of IVF for her sake? She couldn’t deny that she was thankful Ignis wasn’t some asshole pig of a man, but she also sometimes hated when he made the stone around her heart crumble a little with his words or actions. If she wasn’t careful, she might actually start caring for the man. Would it be so bad, though? Yes! She reminded herself that this whole situation was basically sex trafficking and sexual assault. Not only forcing a woman to be with a stranger but forcing her to lay with him as well? She had a feeling that when she did finally speak with her mother, it wasn’t going to be a friendly conversation.

“I don’t wish to speak of this anymore,” Y/N stated, turning and walking over to her dresser to mindlessly straighten a few of the objects on it.

“Of course. I hope I was able to calm your fears and anger even a little bit. I’m sorry if I wasn’t much help. But all of this is news to me as well.”

She wondered how Ignis felt about forced fatherhood. Was his head spinning as much as hers was? She knew she would always have to birth an heir, but Ignis was never required to do such a thing. Well, she learned this morning that it seems he was going to be forced to at some point. But when were they going to tell him? She grew up being taught her whole life that her child would be a future king or queen. He had no idea he himself could one day be King.

“I’m not sure if now is the best time to discuss wedding plans, but I can give you Luna’s number so the both of you can maybe get together and shop. I’m not sure if you got my text last night, but she mentioned she was willing to go with you dress shopping if you wished.”

“Yeah, I got your text,” Y/N quietly responded. “That would be fine. Thank you.”

Ignis sent her Luna’s cell number and stood a bit awkwardly not sure if he should take his leave. Before he had a chance to ask her if she wished for him to go, she spoke up.

“So, um…I’m supposed to train with Gladio in a couple days. Any idea what that’s gonna be like?” she asked, smiling a bit to try and make light of the situation even though she was freaking out about it.

Not only was she about to get sweaty and wrestle around with the Citadel’s hottest body building hunk, but she was also slightly nervous about making a fool of herself. She had never taken a single self-defense or fighting class in her life.

“Gladio is a great training partner,” Ignis smiled at her. “We train together often. He isn’t one for slacking off, however. Ask Noctis about that one. He’ll only push you ten times harder. I’m sure you will be just fine.”

* * *

A few days later, Y/N founder herself being escorted to the Training Hall. She didn’t even have any work-out clothes with her. She ended up putting on a pair of shorts and tank top she had as a sleep set. It was one of her more plain ones without all the lace and bows on it. She thought it looked good enough to pass as a matching work-out outfit.

As she walked into the room, she looked around and noticed a few other people in there as well. A couple people were off by themselves doing basic work out moves. Jumping jacks, push-ups, that sort of thing. A few other people were sparing together and wrestling on the thick mats covering the entire floor. She noticed Gladio speaking to a tall man over in one of the corners and made her way over to him. Bernard was right behind her. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to come and see her make a fool of herself, but he insisted. If she was about to have a man throwing punches at her and flipping her around, he wanted to be there to make sure she was okay. She kind of felt bad that she mostly stayed in her room causing him to also be holed up in his room as well. She let him come if only to let him have some fresh air for once. The closer she got to the two men, she suddenly realized who the tall guy was he was talking to and her eyes widened.

“Ah, Princess! Good morning! I’m glad you made it alright,” Ignis greeted her. His hair was down and not slicked up into its usual style. He wasn’t wearing a suit or button up shirt and slacks, but rather a white tank top and black sweat pants. She had never seen or even imagined him looking so…dressed down. She had to admit though, he looked good with his hair down. It seemed to take her a moment to realize she was staring and answer him.

“Oh, um, good morning. Thank you,” she nodded at him. Then her eyes turned to Gladio. He was shirtless and sweaty. The grey sweats he wore left very little to the imagination. This guy was big all over! She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks and turned to Bernard to hide it.

“Bernie, do you mind sitting on one of the benches,” she told him, as a way to dismiss him. He didn’t take offense, however, and simply bowed and walked over to one of the many benches lined up against the wall not too far away.

“I was just getting a bit of a workout in, myself. Gladio and I train often. I’ll leave the both of you to it then and continue on my own.” Ignis nodded his head slightly at the two of them and walked over to a free spot on the mat. He was carrying a long pole arm with him that he started practicing with. Y/N was jostled out of her staring when she heard a deep voice beside her.

“Are you wearing fucking pajamas?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Y/N turned to glare at him and look down at what she was wearing.

“This is all I have! I wasn’t told to wear anything specific!” she barked back.

“So you just showed up in what you slept in?” he asked her.

“No! I changed into this! It’s shorts and a tank top! Is that so terrible?”

“It’s pajamas! Get yourself to the store and get some workout clothes.”

“I’ll be sure and be better prepared next time!” she glared at him. She turned her eyes back to Ignis to look away from him.

“We gonna stand here and oogle your boyfriend all morning, or get to work?”

Y/N turned her hatful stare back to Gladio. What was this guy’s deal? Was he honestly always this much of an ass?

“I’m not oogling anyone! I’m waiting on you to stop talking about my clothes and get started! If anyone is oogling, it’s you!” she pointed at him.

“Trust me, your booty shorts and flimsy top ain’t doing much for me. Get you some nice leggings and a sports bra, and maybe we’ll talk.”

“Urgh!” she scoffed. “Pig!”

“So,” Gladio started, ignoring her insult. He was hardly effected by her. “You ever done any of this before?”

“No, of course not! We have trained guards for this kind of thing! How am I expected to learn to fight in a dress I wear every day?”

“Looks like you’re about to learn how. Show me what you got,” Gladio stated before he kicked her lightly in the stomach causing her to double over.

“Ooof!” she coughed out, crossing her arms over her midsection. As she bent down, Gladio grabbed and ripped one of her arms toward himself and turned, tossing her over his shoulder and down onto her back on the mat. “AHH!!”

“GLADIOLOUS!!” a shout was heard from a little ways off.

“PRINCESS!” she heard Bernard yell as he came running over to her.

As she lay coughing on the mat, tears starting to prick her eyes at the pain in her back. The faces of Bernard and Ignis suddenly appeared over her. Ignis’ eyes were the largest she’s ever seen them as he raked them over her body looking for injuries.

“Are you alright, Y/N??” he frantically asked her. “Gladio, what is wrong with you??” he scolded his friend.

“Oh come on! That’s like the first move we all learned! I barely tossed her!” Gladio argued.

“She has never trained before! She doesn’t even know the proper way to fall! You expect her to be able to fend you off?” he asked, helping Y/N to sit up. “Are you hurt?”

“She’s fucking fine!” Gladio grumbled.

“Ahh!” Y/N cried out, reaching back and rubbing at her spine. She squeezed her eyes shut, making the water that had accumulated in them roll down her cheeks.

“Oh she is not crying!” Gladio rolled his eyes.

“Gladiolus, I told you she has never done this before!” Ignis growled. “You don’t slam her to the ground right off the bat!”

“I wanted to test her! I warned her to show me what she got! She just stood there!”

“I didn’t think you would kick me in the stomach and flip me over your shoulder, you monster!” Y/N screamed at him.

“Kicked her in th-?…GLADIO!!!” Ignis once again yelled at the larger man. He couldn’t believe Gladio actually kicked her.

“Oh I barely knocked the wind from her is all! I bet there isn’t even a red mark on her stomach! You think anyone else is gonna daintily grab her by the wrist and pull her down the street? No, they are gonna knock her unconscious and drag her away. I’m doing what I was told to do- teaching her how to fight and defend herself against real enemies!”

“She isn’t a male! She doesn’t have the same strength as us-“

“Exactly!” Gladio interrupted. “All the more reason to be harder on her and push her more!”

“You are to teach her the very basics of self-defense! Pulling her arm free, poking a man’s eyes, kicking him in the genitals! Not full on combat!”

“Yeah, I’m sure Cor will be content with her sneezing in men’s faces as a way to get away from danger! Give me a fucking break Ignis!”

“I’m fucking out of here. You people are barbarians!” she yelled in frustration as Bernard helped her to her feet. Ignis attempted to aid her but she pulled her arm free and glared at him. “Don’t touch me!”

Ignis pulled his hands back to himself and looked at her surprised. Was she angry at him for this? He would have never allowed Gladio to do such a thing. Surely she didn’t think he knew this would happen.

“Do you need help ge-“

“I don’t need anything from you!” she yelled, interrupting him. She leaned into Bernard as he helped escort her from the hall and back to her room.

“Pffft,” Gladio snorted behind him. “Shows up in fucking pajamas and starts crying two minutes into it. Nice.”

Ignis turned and glared at his friend, truly angry.

“Gladiolus, I don’t know what is wrong with you but that was highly uncalled for. You pushed her too hard too fast and you know it! You never would have done that to someone else!”

“Seriously? Have you seen me train people? You know just as much as anyone I don’t hold back.”

“If that were Luna, would you have thrown her to the ground?” he asked.

Gladio hesitated a moment, narrowing his eyes at Ignis.

“That’s different-“

“HOW?” Ignis demanded.

“Oh come on! First off all, Luna knows how to defend herself. Second, throwing our friend and Noct’s future wife to the ground isn’t-”

“But throwing my fiancé to the ground is okay?”

“You say that like you’re actually in love with her and we’ve known her for years.”

“Stop assuming she is just some task for me to complete! Some order I was given! How many times do I have to tell you all I like her-“

“Enough times that maybe you’ll believe it too!” Gladio raised his voice a bit. “Come on Iggy! We all see how she treats you. She’s already known around here as a bitch, and don’t even get mad at me for saying that!” Gladio said, seeing his friend about to scold him for using the term he seemed to hate. “Everyone else’s word, not mine!”

“We were making progress! She called me the other day! All on her own! She wanted my help! She came to ME! Last night she sent me wedding colors! I am working so hard to get her to trust me and you just keep undoing all my hard work all the time!”

“Love shouldn’t be hard work! It should be easy!”

“Love is the hardest work of all!” Ignis shouted, causing a few others to look over his way. “Nothing about love is easy! You work at it every day, and you would know that if you actually took the time to care for one of your bed friends! Don’t try and school me on love when you seem so damn incapable of it yourself!”

“Fucking hell, Iggy!” Gladio whispered out. He never seen his friend get quite this worked up over something. Not since…Noct’s accident. When Ignis was so scared for his friend’s life. It then clicked to Gladio- Ignis was scared. “Why are you so scared?”

“What?” Ignis asked, confused by the sudden change in Gladio’s demeanor.

“What are you so scared about when it comes to her?”

Ignis stared at his friend. He was about to deny it, still angry and wanting to yell at his friend for hurting Y/N. But Gladio’s sudden change made him think maybe he had a chance to get through to him.

“I’m afraid I’m not enough.”

That single statement almost broke Gladio’s heart. Ignis worked his ass off since he was a child to constantly please everyone. To always do the best, be the best. Impress everyone he met. Live up to impossible standards set for him. To think that he thought he wasn’t good enough when all his friends, and the King himself, thought so highly of him… It damn near gutted Gladio.

“Does she tell you you’re not enough?” Gladio asked.

“No, she-“

“Does she make you feel like you’re not enough?”

“No-…not intentionally.”

“So she does.”

“I said not intentionally. Neither of us expected any of this. And if we’re being honest, she got dealt the crappiest hand of the two of us. I’m used to being told how to live my life. She isn’t. Our relationship is going to take more work than average relationships. And I’m willing to put in that work. And every time I get us to a place where I see it all paying off…like I’m finally reaching her…,” Ignis paused a moment and looked up at his friend. “something or someone comes along and shoves us back to the starting line.”

“Look, Iggy, I-“

“I’m done training for the day. I’m going to shower and head up to my office.”

Ignis walked over to his pole arm on the ground where he threw it earlier and started walking out the Training Hall door. Gladio watched him leave and felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He wanted nothing more than for Ignis to just end this bullshit. He knew his friend was too stubborn and would see it through to the end, even if it ended in disaster. He’s try and hold back a bit on the insults…but he wasn’t done pushing Y/N. If the two of them were going to get married, he’d make sure she treated his friend right. Even if it meant making her really angry first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone honestly think Gladio and the Princess would get along? Haha I can’t help but make those two just go after each other. And it ain’t ending any time soon! Coming soon, her interactions with the other boys. You can probably guess who she’s gonna get along with the best lol Fear not, the angst will settle again a little bit when our little ray of sunshine appears. 
> 
> Sorry this is once again being posted late. The WiFi at the beach house I was at sucked and wasn’t working half the time. But I honestly was barely there to even use it. All the time I thought I would use writing and working on projects was used relaxing and meditating and enjoying myself and my kid on our much needed vacation. But I just got back in and I’m posting as promised. Every so often I get a little discouraged lately with this story and brought down a little, but then all it takes is one of you brightening my day with your comments, kudos, and follows. Thank you so much to those supporting me. It really brings me back up when I get kicked down.


	12. Chapter 11

Y/N was starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. Before the whole Gladio training debacle, Y/N had made plans with Luna to dress shop on the weekend. She didn’t want to appear rude and cancel on her. Plus, they had made an appointment apparently. Luna mentioned she managed to book a last minute spot that opened up. Y/N also knew she really needed a dress. So here she was at the dress shop and wanting to be anywhere but. She still hadn’t talked to Ignis, or anyone really, since that day in the Training Hall. Being flung onto the mat and kicked square in the stomach was a last straw for her. Just when she was starting to maybe warm up to Ignis a bit. He was being so kind and she was letting her walls crack ever so slightly. Biggest mistake ever, obviously. This is what she got, she supposed, for daring to let him in. For trying to put her anger and hatred aside and maybe accept all this chaos. It only led to pain. Actual, physical pain! Ignis told her that she could trust Gladio. That everything would be fine. Then had the fucking nerve to try and comfort her after. He had tried multiple times over the last few days to get ahold of her. Calling, texting, even sending flowers and letters again to her doorstep. She wasn’t caving this time. And now here she was picking out a dress to marry the man in. The universe hated her. She was thoroughly convinced at this point.

“Lady Lunafreya! So great to see you! How may we assist you today?” an overly nice woman greeted them midway through the elaborate dress shop.

Sure, how may they assist HER! Never mind that they were here shopping for Y/N! What was with everyone just flocking to this girl?

“Hello! I’m actually here with my friend, Prin-“

“Y/N!” she spoke up for herself. She still was hesitant about people knowing who she was. As much as she wanted to yell from the top of one of the oversized sky scrapers in this city that she was a Princess and demand the respect she was so used to getting, she was still a bit scared of being out in public. Granted they had Cor with them as a body guard, but she was certain he was more here for Luna than herself. At least she had the entertainment of seeing him look so incredibly bored and uncomfortable walking around a bridal gown shop with two girls.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you Y/N. Are you looking for a bridesmaid dress? Maid of Honor dress? Cocktail party?” the lady asked.

Y/N couldn’t help the small sneer that crossed her face. She wasn’t here tagging along with Luna wanting to look cute for that girl’s wedding! Hell, Y/N’s every day dress looked more elaborate than anything the people around here probably wore to balls and galas. 

“No. Wedding dresses. For my wedding!” Y/N told her.

“Oh!” the lady sounded surprised. “Well then, thank you for choosing Insomnia’s number one bridal shop! We just got a few questions and we will get right to it!”

“Lovely, thank you!” Luna sweetly cooed.

“Follow me right this way!” the sales associate began walking to a section of the store with a few chairs in a semi-circle around a small, raised, circular platform in front of a wall of mirrors. “So! Y/N, first off, what is our budget for your wedding dress?”

“There is none,” she simply stated. Budget? Pffft. Are you kidding? If her mother wasn’t paying, she had the funds to. And if she didn’t have to pay and the King was, then she wasn’t holding back. This shit show was his idea to begin with. He owed her.

“Oh! Well then,” the lady sounded a bit surprised. “When is your wedding date, so we know a time frame to work with?”

“A month from now.”

“A mo-…a month?” the associate seemed flabbergasted. “Wow, okay. So, we basically have to find something off the rack today with little to no alterations. You look like a typical sample size, so it shouldn’t be too hard. Let’s get right into what you are looking for! Is there a certain color or design or material you like?”

“White of course!” she said, a bit confused as to what other color she might wear. Well, maybe black. Like a damn funeral. That would not only be hilarious, but the best slap in their faces. “Ball gown. I like big. Heavy petticoat.”

“Okay, so a large petticoat, gottcha. We can definitely make gowns more fuller if you find one you like but want it to be…bigger.”

“And I love lace,” Y/N added almost hesitantly. She loved lace. It was practically the fabric of her great home. She also knew Ignis liked lace too, however. That thought almost made her change her mind to something like a fitted satin spaghetti strap dress. The kind women wore that looked more like a damn nighty than a wedding dress. That would be the last thing he expected. But if there was going to be one thing about this wedding she actually liked and made her own, it was going to be the dress she wore. She would look fabulous on her wedding regardless of its circumstances.

“Sounds wonderful! Let me go pick a few gowns out for you to try and I’ll have you just step over in the dressing room over there. Now, is this the groom? Do you mind him seeing you in your dress?” the lady asked, pointing to Cor.

Y/N pulled a face she wasn’t sure she’s ever made before and she was certain she heard Cor choke. Luna put a hand in front of her mouth, but she could tell the blonde was laughing lightly. Cor himself let out a sarcastic chuckle before answering.

“No, ma’am. I’m here on guard detail is all,” he politely responded before taking a seat and attempting to rub the rare blush off his face.

“No! He isn’t…he is not my fiancé,” Y/N replied.

“Oh! My apologies!” the lady replied, a bit embarrassed. She quickly walked off to gather a few dresses for Y/N to try on.

Y/N walked into the dressing room and began to undress. She wore a much simpler dress today, knowing she would have to be changing out of it at the dress shop. She wasn’t wearing her corset, which made her very self-conscious about her body. She probably should have worn one so she could see how it would look under the dress she picked out. She forgot the associate would be helping her in and out of the gowns she tried on today. After changing into the white robe hanging off the back of the door, she sat in the chair inside the dressing room, waiting on the associate to bring the dresses for her to try on. She almost wished she could walk the floor and look for dresses herself. That wasn’t something she was used to. New dresses were always just designed for her and brought to her to wear. She didn’t get to go to the store and pick out what she wanted. A knock on the door startled her from her mind’s wanderings.

“Is it alright if I come in?” a voice sounded from the other side.

“Yes, come in,” Y/N responded as she stood from the chair.

“Okay! I think we found some nice things to start with. I wasn’t sure If you wanted sleeveless or halter-top, or a certain strap so I grabbed a few different things. I forgot to ask that small detail. So let’s just get started and go from what we have!”

“Okay…” Y/N responded hesitantly. She rarely wore anything without sleeves or that showed her shoulders. Not only did she think she had broad, hideous shoulders, she considered it a bit indecent and improper of a noble. But maybe this was her chance to do something new.

“So if you don’t mind my asking, why don’t you tell me a little about your fiancé! Who’s the lucky man!” the associate attempted to make small talk while helping her dress.

“He’s um…” Y/N wasn’t really sure what to say. She still wasn’t’ in the mood for saying anything positive about the guy. She chose to just mention his name instead. “His name is Ignis. Ignis Sciencia.”

“Sciencia?!” the lady asked, sounding surprised. “The Prince’s Royal Advisor?”

“Yes…that’s him,” Y/N answered, not sure what to think of the lady’s response.

“Oh! That’s interesting. So this is a grand affair, then! I should have known, with you coming in with Lady Lunafreya. I didn’t really expect him to…well, he just seems so…pre-occupied. And I don’t believe I remember hearing anything announced. I’m sorry, excuse me. I’m not trying to be rude. This is lovely! I’m sure he’s a great man!”

“We don’t wish to take from Prince Noctis’ wedding. I’m sure you will hear something after next week,” Y/N answered her and left it at that. A part of her wondered, though, why nothing was mentioned yet.

The first dress she tried on had a thicker strap about two inches wide. The neckline was very square and she felt like a box. Her upper arms looked like Gladio’s, without the definition. She looked forty years old. She hated it.

“No, I really don’t think I like this one. It’s so…square,” she told the associate.

“Okay! No problem! We will try on another one!”

The second dress was completely strapless. Immediately she felt uncomfortable. Her rather large chest felt on full display and about to fall out of the dress at any moment. How did girls wear stuff like this? Her hands couldn’t stop grabbing at her neck and she wanted nothing more than to take the dress of immediately.

“No. I can’t. This isn’t…me. I can’t do strapless,” she said almost frantically.

“Okay! That’s fine. It’s just as important to find what you don’t like as it is to find what you like! Let’s go to the next one.”

The third dress was a spaghetti strap. It wasn’t even fully buttoned up before she shook her head no.

“I can’t. It’s just like the strapless. It’s…too much neck and cleavage! I just can’t!”

“That’s fine! We can move on to another!”

The fourth, fifth, and sixth dresses were no better. Ever girl always went with strapless and that’s more than half of what the associate brought her to wear.

“Okay, so we have decided strapless is bad. I have one more for you to try on. It’s a halter top. Maybe that will be better for you.”

Y/N reluctantly put the dress on. The neckline dipped a bit low, but enough of her neck was covered that she wasn’t entirely uncomfortable in it. She still didn’t like it though.

“Um…no. I just…I really hate my arms in this. And it feels like it’s holding my tits up too high or something. This waistline is also way too high. I like it more at my hips.”

The waistline of the dress came up just below her breasts. Y/N felt like she looked pregnant or something in this dress. The skirt almost seemed poofed out a bit at the high waistline. And it was mostly silk. There was barely a hint of lace on the top.

“Okay. So, it seems I need to go find something different. You didn’t seem to like any of these much. Is there maybe some more details you could tell me?” the associate asked her.

“More lace, definitely. Fuller skirts. And no open neckline. I’m not comfortable with that,” Y/N told her. As she put her robe on, she decided to ask the associate something. “Do you think…that maybe I can look at some dresses to try on?” she hesitantly asked.

“Oh, of course! You are welcome to look on the floor! I also have some books to look through if you wish.

Y/N followed the associate out of the dressing room, wrapped in the long, silk white robe. Luna looked up from where she was seated with a large smile on her face that slowly fell just a tad.

“Aw, where’s the dress? I wanted to see!” she exclaimed.

“I didn’t like any of them. They weren’t for me,” Y/N informed her.

“You still could have come out and showed me. The bad ones make the final dress look even better!” she giggled.

“No, I…I just didn’t look good in them.”

“I think you’re being self-conscious! I’m certain you looked like a dream in all of them. No girl looks bad in any wedding dress. She simply looks best in one particular dress!”

Y/N chose to ignore her sweet words and continue to the racks to look at dresses. She didn’t want to rush the process, but she didn’t want to keep Luna sitting around waiting in a chair all day. Cor looked about ready to fall asleep or rip his skin off in boredom. She didn’t want them upset with her for taking too long. But she would hate herself for leaving here today in a horrid dress she hated.

As she shifted through endless racks of dresses, the associate would every so often bring her something to look at and she would shake her head no. Nothing seemed to really be catching her eye. Finally, after turning down probably the tenth dress the associate showed her, the kind lady asked her a question.

“You know, I can’t help but notice your accent. You wouldn’t happen to be from Altissia would you?”

“Um…yes actually,” Y/N hesitantly answered. Was she recognized? Her heart started beating a bit faster.

“I thought so! Such a wonderfully beautiful place! I’m surprised you aren’t getting your dress from there! Some of the best designers are from Altissia.”

“I…can’t exactly go back there right now. So I’m stuck getting a dress here,” Y/N informed her.

“Well, if you’re looking for something Altissian inspired, which it seems to me you are based on the fact you hate everything girls here seem to love, I have a catalogue you can look through. We carry some of Pelipsy’s designs and a few Vera Wangs.”

The mention of those two designers made Y/N perk up a bit. Every girl in Altissia wanted a wedding gown by those two women. If she remembered correctly, Luna mentioned her gown was a Vera Wang on the ride over here together.

“That would be great, thank you.”

Y/N walked back over to the seats by Luna and Cor and sat with the magazine the associate had handed her.

“Still can’t find anything? I think there’s a few smaller bridal shops we could look at if you wanted to,” Luna told her as she sat down.

“Thanks, but I’m hoping to find something in here,” Y/N responded, holding up the catalogue. “It has some Altissian designers in it.”

“Oh, how nice! That should be perfect!” Luna exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Sometimes Y/N wasn’t sure if Luna’s sweetness was refreshing or annoying. She went back to flipping through the pages. The dresses were nice, and so many reminded her of home. But they weren’t…it. She finally found a few longer sleeved dresses and about a third of the way through the catalogue her heart stopped. That was it. That was the dress. It reminded her a lot of the Queen Gown women in her family wore for their weddings. The dress she always envisioned herself wearing. This one had longer sleeves, though, as well as a lace detailing along the neckline. It sat higher up on the chest and didn’t have the low dip the Queen Gown did. It was perfect. A quick flash of Ignis smiling at her in it appeared in her mind causing her to shake her head a bit. She wasn’t here for him. She was here for herself.

“Um, excuse me!” she stood and called to the associate who was adjusting accessories on a wall of hooks.

“Yes! Did you find something?” she turned her attention and asked.

“Do you happen to have this dress here?” she pointed to the dress that took her breath away.

“Um, we might. We don’t usually carry a lot of long sleeved dresses. It’s usually too hot for people here and not many like them. I can check though!”

Y/N sat back down nervously. She really hoped they had that dress. If they didn’t she would just walk out of here with nothing. She officially ruined herself for any other dress. Maybe she could get one of the seamstresses Ignis mentioned to make it for her. Would there be time? Before she could think too hard about it, the associate appeared.

“We actually happen to have the dress! It was in a box to be shipped back to the designer because as I mentioned, this normally wouldn’t sell here. It was sent in a sample crate of dresses. Lucky for you, we didn’t ship it back yet! Let’s go see how it looks, shall we?”

The two of them went into the dressing room to try the dress on. The cut of the top was perfect. It had a small sweetheart neckline and didn’t accent her breasts. It made them look like they fit her body shape perfectly. The sleeves were long and all the way to her wrists. The lace detail that covered her neckline went down the sides of the sleeves, leaving some spots of open sheer material. A small keyhole was open in the back just from the neck to about midway down. The waistline was higher than she typically liked, but she honestly wouldn’t want the skirt to sit any other way. The fullness of the gown was even perfect. She didn’t want to change a thing!

“I’d say it fits you pretty good! We could actually take it in just a bit here…” the associate mentioned, pulling the dress just a bit and pinning it in the back. “That’s a very easy adjustment though! We could definitely have that done for you by next month!”

“Yeah that’s….that’s good…” Y/N was almost speechless. She never dreamed she would be picking out a wedding dress. Her own wedding dress. That she wanted. She couldn’t stop running her hands down the front of it. The soft lace rubbing under her hands.

“Sooo…what do you think?” the lady asked.

“I love it…” she whispered out.

“Perfect! Should we show your friend? She seems like she really wants to see you in it. And you can get a better view of it in the rounded wall of mirrors out there.”

“Yeah…we can do that.”

Y/N gathered the skirt in her hands and followed the lady out the dressing room door. She heard a small gasp from Luna as she stepped up on the small raised platform in between the mirrors and chairs. A quick glance at Cor showed even his eyebrows raised a bit.

“Oh, Y/N! It’s beautiful!!” Luna exclaimed. “Tell me you love it!”

“I do. I do love it,” Y/N answered. She still kept twirling back and forth to get a look at all angles in the mirrors. It looked even more gorgeous outside of the small, cramped room they were in. “You don’t think taking it in makes me look…” Y/N rubbed her hands over her stomach not sure how to word what she was feeling. Was the dress too tight if they took it in?

“No. It doesn’t make you look anything short of gorgeous! Trust me! Ignis is going to pass out when he sees you!”

Y/N lifted the side of her lip up in a quick half smile. Again, this wasn’t for him. Not fully. She still wanted him to think she was pretty. But this was her day. And this was absolutely her dress!

“I want it,” she suddenly said out loud.

“Yay! You found your dress! Congratulations!” the associate said excitedly, clapping along with Luna. “Let’s get you back in your clothes and I’ll meet you over at the counter!”

Y/N went back into the dressing room and got out of her dress. She did so reluctantly. She loved the feel of it. The texture of it. It felt so much like home wrapped around her in a hug. As she came out of the room, her and Luna went up to the counter to pay for everything. She had forgotten to even look at the price of the dress. She knew her mother wasn’t buying it for her. Hell, she couldn’t even get ahold of her mother. It couldn’t be more than she had in her account. She had yet to even spend anything while here, surprisingly. That’s what she gets for locking herself in her room all day she supposed.

“Alrighty! So, with the added cost of adjustments, your total comes to 539,900 yen.”

Y/N’s eyes just about bulged from her sockets.

“Excuse me?” she almost sputtered out.

“It’s 539,900 yen, ma’am.”

“Yen? What does yen mean? And I don’t think I’ve ever seen something that…” Y/N started sweating a bit as she cut off. Just her luck she would find the dress of her dreams and it was an outrageously unrealistic amount of money. Was it because it was imported? Surely this dress wouldn’t be this much in Altissia.

“Oh! Have you not bought anything here yet?” Luna asked her kindly.

“No, I haven’t. Why?”

“They use yen in Insomnia. It’s a different currency here. That’s probably why it sounds so expensive. It’s only a little over 5,000 gil. But, you haven’t converted your currency yet, I’m guessing?”

“Oh! No, I was never told anything like that. How am I supposed to buy it then?” she asked nervously. Would they hold it for her so she could transfer and convert her money from her account? And how long would that process even take? Would she even be able to do it?

“Excuse me,” Cor said lowly as he stepped up to the counter beside her. He turned a small looking box with buttons on it toward himself and inserted a card before typing a code in the box. A receipt printed out of the cash register that the associate wrote on before folding.

“This is the number for our store if you have questions. And here is your account number I circled for you. You will need that to pick the dress up. I imagine the alterations will be done in about two weeks’ time. If you need a rush on it, just get ahold of us!”

Y/N hesitantly grabbed the receipt from her.

“Um, thank you,” she told the cashier before turning to Cor. “Did you just…buy the dress?”

“King Regis asked that I purchase it for you. Under his personal account. Consider it a gift. Are you ladies ready to go?” Cor answered her, ready to get out of the store and back to his office.

Y/N was a bit speechless. Sure, she had thought about the King buying her dress. She figured he owed her and could do her the favor of getting her something. But she didn’t exactly mean it. Well, not entirely. She wasn’t going to mention it anymore though. Far be it for her to argue someone she hated purchasing something so expensive for her. She wasn’t too proud to accept lavish gifts like that.

“Actually, I was texting Noct earlier. He wanted to know if we wanted to meet him for lunch. All the boys are out right now at the mall. I think it would be nice to get out together! What do you think Y/N?”

“Oh…um…” Y/N really didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to see Ignis yet. And she especially didn’t want to see Gladio yet. She swore off going to his training sessions and didn’t care what the consequences were. So far nothing had been said to her about it, but she still hadn’t resolved the issue. If it were just Noctis, she would think about it but…

“Oh, please! I may have already told them yes. His friends are quite nice! If you get uncomfortable you can just cling to me or Ignis. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind!” she giggled.

Bless her damn heart. She had no idea the conflict going on right now between Y/N and them. She didn’t seem to have a way out of this, aside from faking illness or something. Maybe if she said she was tired…

“Okay, I’ll drop you guys off at the mall and head off then. Gladio and Ignis are with him so they should have you girls covered,” Cor spoke up as he made his way to the exit.

Great. This was not how she wanted to end her day.

* * *

“Hey guys, Luna said her and Y/N are meeting us for lunch. Hope you don’t mind,” Noct announced,

“Both of them?” Gladio asked, sounding a bit put off.

“Yeah. They went wedding dress shopping today. She said they were about to wrap things up and then head over here.”

“I thought she already had a dress?” Gladio asked.

“Not Luna, you ditz! Y/N needed one. So she went with her or something since she has, like, no friends here,” Noct informed them.

“Oooooh! Looks like I finally get to get to meet the lovely Princess Y/N!” Prompto cooed in a smooth, joking voice.

“Don’t know if I would call her lovely…” Gladio grumbled lowly.

“Huh? Why not?” Prompto asked, genuinely confused having heard his friend. He hadn’t been around for any of the harsh talk about Y/N. The fact he hasn’t even seen her yet was surprising. But Noct had been extra busy lately between Prince duties and wedding plans.

Noct glanced at Ignis and caught him rolling his eyes. Something was up between him and Gladio lately, and Noct had no idea what. Neither seemed to want to talk about it, or to each other. They had been oddly distant this whole outing. Ignis also seemed a bit distant and on edge. Like something was upsetting him.

“Um,” Noct started. “suffice to say Gladio doesn’t get along with her well.”

“Why not?” Prompto asked, almost pouting.

“Cause she has a damn stick up her ass,” Gladio answered, not afraid of what Ignis would say back to him. Surprisingly, Ignis chose to ignore him and kept looking away.

“Well, she’s a Princess, ain’t she? Aren’t most of them a bit…hoity?” Prompt asked carefully. “No disrespect Iggy!” he quickly added, holding up his hands.

“None taken,” Ignis responded, knowing Prompto meant well.

“She’s just-“ Gladio started before Ignis interrupted him.

“I’d prefer you let it go, Gladiolus.”

“Yes, because that seems to be getting us somewhere fast, now doesn’t it!” Gladio snapped back at him, referring to the silence that had been between the two of them the past few days. “Never thought you would be one to let a girl get between our friendship.”

“I’m not the one letting her get between us,” Ignis answered.

“What is going on between you two? You’ve both been so weird,” Noct asked.

“Yeah it’s like…super uncomfy,” Prompto added.

“Apologies. Y/N and Gladio had an…incident the other day that hasn’t set well with me.”

“Like what?” Noct asked, getting a bit concerned. He knew how openly Gladio seemed to hate Y/N. He hoped nothing extreme had happened.

“She had her first training session with me and let’s say the princess broke a nail,” Gladio answered.

“You kicked her in the stomach!” Ignis furrowed his brow and turned to Gladio.

“Whoa, what?” Prompto asked, surprised.

“Gladio, what the hell??” Noct piped in.

“Oh I barely touched her! It was just to double her over so I could shoulder throw-“

“You shoulder threw her?” Noct exclaimed.

“My point exactly!” Ignis said, looking pointedly at Gladio while waving a hand at Noctis.

“What was I supposed to do?!” Gladio asked, exasperated.

“She’s not a glaive, Gladio!” Noct answered. “Take it down a notch! Or like, five! I would have killed you if you did that to Luna!”

Ignis raised his brows and looked at Gladio, pointing his hand at Noctis again as if to say _See! I told you so!_

“Whatever dude. She hasn’t shown up since, so who knows if there will even be a next time.”

“Sometimes, you’re a bit much, Gladio,” Noct told his friend. “You’re like double her size and she has no fighting skills what so ever. Just…cool it a bit, okay? And maybe, I don’t know, apologize?”

“Tch,” Gladio tsked, rolling his eyes.

“Well, either way, get it together. Both of you. They are gonna be on their way soon. I said we would meet them at the front fountain,” Noct told his two friends as he started to walk down the hallway of the large mall.

Gladio and Ignis glanced at each other a minute before following their friend. Ignis held back a little and Prompto noticed he kept glancing at his reflection in the passing store windows, smoothing hand over his hair and dress shirt every so often.

“Don’t worry buddy,” Prompto quietly told him, smiling. “You look great!”

Ignis glanced at him and smiled sheepishly.

“Thank you Prompto.”

“And I’m sure I’ll like her! Maybe she just needs a friendly face since she’s…ya know, so lonely here,” Prompto shrugged.

“Perhaps,” Ignis smiled, glad the younger man seemed so positive about meeting his fiancé. He only hoped things didn’t escalate when she arrived. He still wasn’t sure she even wanted to see him yet and his stomach was in knots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally there was more to this chapter and it went on further, but as I was going through adding more details and polishing things up, it became a bit too long for the flow of this story. So next week we will get to see our sunshine boy interact with the princess. I also moved a particular incident that originally happened at the dress shop to a different part of the story in future chapters. Again, it felt like too many “bad things” happening chapter after chapter haha But, the angst still flows. And it will continue flowing for some time now. Only a couple chapters until the pleasant little surprise tho!! Like I mentioned before, it’s a fun surprise but still angsty as hell *insert evil laugh*
> 
> I also plan to post a pic of the wedding dress I had in mind when the Princess found her dream dress.   
> Thanks as always for the love!!! You readers keep me happy and encouraged!


	13. Chapter 12

Ignis nervously scrolled through his phone, standing with his friends by the water fountain. He had contemplated sending a text to Y/N, letting her know he was happy to see her soon. He wasn't sure if he should though. He already feared that he had bothered her too much. Ever since the incident with Gladio in the Training Hall, he hadn't heard a word from her. He was never quite sure if he should give her space and leave her be, or let her know he was there for her if she needed him. It seemed every time he chose one or the other, it was the wrong choice. He couldn't deny that Gladio was right about one thing...girls were quite the mystery. Every time he thought he did something right, it turned out to be terribly wrong. He thought all the talk he had heard about girls being so complicated was simply immature males not taking responsibility for their actions. But even he seemed to be misunderstanding what they meant, now.  
  
"How long did you say they would be?" Gladio grumbled.  
  
"They should be here any minute. Relax and quit being a grump!" Noctis answered, engrossed in a King's Knight match with Prompto.  
  
"Weren't we having enough fun without them?"  
  
"Would you be this upset if only Luna was joining us?" Noct asked.  
  
Gladio just looked away and kept pacing in circles with his arms crossed. Ignis knew Noct wasn't much of a fan of his fiancé either, but appreciated his friend sticking up for him a bit. And sticking up for Y/N. Sometimes he feared his closest friends would never get along with her, let alone take a moment to get to know her. Granted, he was still trying to get to know her himself, but it made things a lot harder when he was always made to feel guilty for doing so.  
  
A familiar voice soon caught his attention. Looking up from his phone, he noticed Luna waving at them and Y/N a few steps behind her. She seemed to be looking anywhere except at the four of them. Even with all the tension and uncertainty, Ignis couldn't help the small flutter at seeing her again. It was both from excitement and nervousness. Prompto started elbowing him in the ribs.

“Whoa! Way to go Iggy!” the smaller boy whispered to him, winking.

He chose to ignore Prompto and tucked his phone into his pants pocket, standing to greet both of the girls. A small smile crept onto his face and he couldn't stop looking at Y/N. She looked a bit different today. She wasn't wearing such an elaborate gown like she normally did. Her dress was simple and hugged her figure a bit more. She looked lovely. He was convinced she would look good in anything, though.

“Hi guys!” Luna greeted them. “Sorry it took us a little longer. Traffic is pretty bad right now.”

“It’s fine,” Noct waved it off. “So, um…did you guys, uh I mean girls, have fun?”

“Oh yes! Just wait until you see her dress, Ignis!” Luna exclaimed, turning to her fiancé’s advisor. “She looks like an absolute angel!”

Ignis smiled and looked at Y/N. She was looking down a bit in embarrassment.

“Well, she always looks angelic but I’m certain the dress she found is nothing short of perfect.”

Gladio mumbled something under his breath and rolled his eyes. Prompto looked up at the taller man and frowned a bit. He really wasn’t a fan of her, was he? Prompto felt a bit bad and decided to cut the tension, he would introduce himself.

“Uh, hey!” he said a bit nervously. This was a princess he was talking to, after all. “I’m Prompto! Noct’s best friend and future Crownsguard member!” He held out his hand for her to shake, especially proud about that last bit.

Y/N looked up at him and down at his hand a bit hesitantly. She really wasn’t used to people shaking her hand. It just wasn’t something she did back home. No one touched royals. You bowed to them. She almost let out a chuckle remembering the first time she arrived in Insomnia when Ignis shook her hand. The look of horror on his face at what he had done was comical, even if she didn’t laugh in the moment.

“Prompto!” Ignis whispered to the blonde, slightly moving his head back and forth.

“Huh?...OH! I’m sorry!” Prompto started to pull his hand back a bit mortified.

“No, it’s…it’s fine,” Y/N replied, reaching out for his retreating hand and shaking it real quick. “Princess Y/N.” She knew just by looking at him that he wasn’t like the rest of his friends. He wasn’t raised in the Citadel. He wasn’t familiar with royal protocols and mannerisms. He reminded her of her own best friend, LeAnn. Just a normal girl she happened upon when she was younger and had been attached to ever since.

“Well look at that,” Gladio commented. “She’s mingling amongst the commoners.”

Everyone just chose to ignore him. At this point, they all expected he would just be snarky the whole time.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you Princess Y/N! I’ve heard all good things!” Prompto smiled. “Our Iggy here is quite in love!” he said, wiggling his eyebrows comically. 

“Hmm,” she simply hummed in response.

“So…” Noct started. “Do you want to get lunch first? And, like, shop or something?”

“Sounds great! Right, Y/N?” Luna asked, turning to the quiet princess beside her.

“Sure,” she responded softly.

“Uh, cool!” Noct replied awkwardly. He was still a bit odd around Luna. “Um, we can go to the grill restaurant next to the food court?”

“Perfect!” Luna smiled, as she walked up next to Noct and they started down the hall. 

Gladio was right behind them. Not only was he keeping close to Noct, as he was supposed to as his shield, but he didn’t feel like acknowledging Y/N yet. He still didn’t get why everyone was so pissed at him over what happened. He’s flattened the precious Prince’s ass on the matt way more times than one.

Prompto skipped up beside his friend to talk with Luna while Ignis held back a bit to walk with Y/N. He hoped she wouldn’t mind being by his side.

“You look very nice today,” Ignis complimented her. “While I love your elaborate gowns, your dress today is very pretty as well.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. She wasn’t about to suddenly swoon over some kind words.

“I’ve missed talking to you. I hope you got my messages and gifts.”

“Hmm.”

“I hope you understand how sorry I am for how things happened during your training. I have scolded Gladio multiple times over and even spoke with Cor about the incident. He’s supposed to change your training-“

“We should catch up,” she interrupted, started to walk in the direction the others were heading.

“Yes, of course,” Ignis replied, walking beside her but still further away from her than he wished.

* * *

Y/N sat down at the table they were lead to by the hostess. This place looked very different than places she was used to eating at. And what was with this city and their dark décor? The inside of the restaurant was nothing but dark stained wood, almost black, deep painted statues ornaments, and deep cherry seating. The lighting was even so dark it was almost hard to see. The only good lighting was over the tables.

She was sitting beside Prompto, whom she didn’t even know, and Ignis to her right at the head of the table. Unfortunately Gladio was across from her, but there was no way to really sit at the table and not be near him. She would just have to avoid him the best that she could. Her stomach was in knots the whole way here. She didn’t want to have to talk with him or put up with him today. Or ever again, honestly. He actually scared her a bit. Any man that could throw a woman over his shoulder onto the ground, or even kick her, was no kind man.

She hadn’t said much of anything to Ignis either. She was angry with him and didn’t feel like putting up with his groveling today. The boy to her left had her a bit intrigued. He looked so innocent and wide eyed. He also didn’t really look like he fit in with the people around this city; with his blonde hair and his white t-shirt and light jeans. Everyone was always so dark around here. Maybe he wasn’t originally from here? But then how could he be a member of the Crowsguard? Were foreigners allowed to join the military forces here?

A hand gently placed on hers caused her to jump a bit. She looked up at Ignis, who promptly removed his hand, but kept looking at her. She glanced around the table and noticed everyone else was looking at her as well as was someone who was standing beside the table.

“Miss?” the waitress asked. “Your drink?”

“Oh, um…a sweet iced tea please,” she told the young lady before opening the menu that had been sitting closed in front of her.

“Of course. I’ll be back shortly with those.”

She flipped through the pages a few times trying to figure out if there was anything she would eat here. She wasn’t even sure how hungry she was. The knot in her stomach left little room for food. All she was really seeing was burgers and bbq chicken and pork. Fries seemed to come with almost every dish. This place was considered a grill and didn’t really serve the type of food she liked to eat. She could usually find at least some type of pasta dish at every place she went to, but she supposed that was only back home where everyone ate pasta all the time.

“Do you like burgers?” an unfamiliar voice beside her asked.

She turned to look at Prompto as his blue eyes bore into hers. He sat waiting patiently for her to answer, even as she continued to just look back at him silently.

“Not really,” she eventually answered in a hushed tone.

“Aw man! That’s too bad. This place has some of the best burgers! Their steak is really good too! Do you like barbeque?” Prompto asked excitedly.

“Umm…I don’t typically eat this stuff, no.”

“Well if you need any good suggestions or are curious about something, just let me know. I’ve had pretty much everything from here. And it’s all good!

Something suddenly dawned on Y/N. She didn’t have any money. Well, any money she could use here. She wasn’t sure if she should just assume that Ignis would pay for her. He’s not the one who invited her out. He was her fiancé, but did that automatically put him in that boyfriend category that paid for her when they went out?

“Um…I need to tell you something…” she almost whispered, turning to Ignis.

He heard her and glanced her way. Realizing she was talking to him, he closed his menu and gave her his full attention.

“Of course. What is it?” he asked, adjusting his glasses a bit as a nervous habit.

“Well, I don’t…” she stopped and looked around the table, noticing a few eyes on her. This wasn’t exactly something she wanted everyone to hear. She was actually a bit embarrassed about it. A few of the people caught on to her awkwardness and went back to looking at the menus in front of them. She cleared her throat and continued in a quieter voice. “I don’t have any money.”

Ignis furrowed his brows together a bit. He didn’t quite understand why she was choosing now to tell him this. It also never dawned on him that she would need money. Did she not come with any? Did they seize it when she arrived? Was she on some type of allowance?

“I mean, I have money but…I don’t have any, um, yang? Yeng? I don’t remember what it’s called-“

“Yen?” Prompto interrupted her, finding the word she was looking for.

“Prompto!” Ignis harshly whispered before shaking his head back and forth for a second time today at the young man, hinting at him to not join the obvious private conversation.

“Oh! Sorry!” Prompto apologized before turning to start talking with Noctis who sat across from him.

“You don’t have any yen? Is that what you mean?” Ignis asked her.

“Yes. I only have gil. And it’s on my account. I don’t even know if I have a way of using my account here.”

Ignis completely forgot about yen only being used in Insomnia. It wasn’t even used in the surrounding areas of Lucis.

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you purchase your dress today? You did buy it, correct? If it’s the one you wanted, I hope you were able to buy it.”

“Yea, uh…Cor used some sort of small plastic card in a machine and it paid for it. He said King Regis bought it as a gift.”

Noct’s head turned toward her when she mentioned his father. He was a little puzzled about him buying her dress and why, but wasn’t going to comment on it here, so he went back to talking with Luna and Prompto.

Y/N tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and started looking around. Ignis could tell she was really uncomfortable talking about this right now and decided it was a conversation for another time. When they weren’t around everyone. Especially because he caught Gladio glancing at the two of them, listening in.

“I will have to properly thank him. I am glad you were able to get it,” Ignis smiled at her. He continued in a softer voice. “We can discuss this another time if you wish. I will purchase your meal, do not worry about it. In fact I will always purchase your meal. It’s my pleasure to.”

Ignis went back to glancing at his menu so she didn’t feel obligated to reply. He didn’t want her to feel like she had to thank him or make any sort of big deal about it. She was his fiancé. He would take care of her and buying her meals was something he took delight in.

“Thank you…” she softly said, before trying to find something she could possibly eat.

“Isn’t he sweet?” Prompto whispered beside her.

She turned to look at him again and he was beaming and winked at her. He was absolutely nothing like the rest of these boys and she wasn’t sure how to take it.

“Okay, back with your drinks,” a female voice announced before placing cups in front of everyone. “Are you guys ready to order yet?”

Y/N still wasn’t quite sure what she was going to go with but everyone started ordering. She quickly looked back over her options and by the time it came around to her turn, she still hadn’t found any particular dish that spoke to her. She decided just to play it safe. She wasn’t very hungry anyways.

“Um, I’ll just have the large salad bowl please. No meat, just extra egg and no onions with balsamic dressing please,” she told the waitress.

“Absolutely, I’ll take your menus and put that in!”

“Tch….figures,” Gladio rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath. “A fucking salad.”

“Hey, I know from experience salads can be pretty tasty if you add, like, a lot of veggies to them,” Prompto piped in. “And she doesn’t’ really like burgers or barbeque so it’s really all she could order.”

“Who the hell doesn’t eat barbeque or burgers?” Gladio asked, scrunching his face.

“Well, we don’t eat a lot of meat outside of seafood and chicken in Altissia,” Y/N spoke up. “Farming isn’t easily done in our city and it’s expensive to import. Some people on the outskirts of Accordo farm, but they aren’t anywhere near Altissia.”

Conversation after that didn’t really involve her. Luna had a way of drawing the attention of everyone at the table. She still felt herself getting a bit jealous every time Ignis would smile at her or talk with her. It was confusing to her own self because right now she didn’t even want to talk to him. But she also didn’t want the man she was supposed to marry to like anyone but her. That’s all any girl wants, really. Is a man to have eyes for only her…even if she doesn’t exactly have eyes for him back.

Prompto tried to include her in conversation. He would always turn to her and ask her a question or get her opinion on the matter. She only gave one word answers or kept them really short. When their food came, conversation didn’t slow down any. These boys never had a shortage of things to talk about. It was interesting to Y/N to see the Prince as such a normal guy. Just a young adult male, who was still more like a teenager, hanging out with his friends.

Gladio did a pretty good job at ignoring her, which she was totally fine with. She could still admit that the guy was hot. She’d still climb that man like a tree. Which was very confusing considering all she could smell right now was Ignis’ expensive and delicious cologne and he kept sending her sweet little smiles every so often and side glancing at her often. She made the poor guy a nervous wreck and it was obvious to her. She wished things hadn’t gone so sour the other day. Maybe she could have gotten closer with him. She could be more a part of their little circle right now and enjoying the day with her fiancé. Why was the universe playing tug of war with her damn mind so much lately? She really needed to call LeAnn tonight. She put it off long enough. This was the longest she ever went without talking to her friend and she needed to spill her heart to someone.

* * *

After dinner, the group decided to walk around the mall a bit and maybe hit up a few shops. Y/N wasn’t exactly pleased. It’s not like she could buy anything anyways. It gave her a chance to look at what the people from here liked, though. A lot of the stores geared towards kids and teens all seemed to be the same. The same brands and same styles.

The group stayed in the general vicinity of each other, but drifted a little apart every so often. Gladio stuck close to Noctis and Luna, naturally, as their shield and to probably stay far from her. Ignis tried staying next to her, but she kept turning away from him and wandering to look at things every time he got closer than she wanted. She felt bad every so often, but was stubborn as a mule and still wanted to be mad at him. He drifted closer to Noctis but still kept an eye on her. Prompto sort of bounced between her and Noct. He basically made his rounds with everyone. She still wasn’t sure how to always respond to his constant high energy.

Eventually they walked into a larger department store that mainly sold clothes. Luna was looking at some of the sun dresses and wanted to get a few outfits. The boys kind of just wandered around, looking at an item here and there, but not entirely interested in anything. Y/N walked through the aisles of clothes. Nothing was particularly peaking her interest. The dresses were nothing like the ones she usually wore. Would Ignis like her better if she wore something like this? Or Gladio? She held up a white dress with sunflowers printed on it. It was very flowy and thin. The length was about mid-calf. It didn’t even look like anything someone from Insomnia would wear. Maybe that’s what made her pick it up.

“Ooooh Iggy would totally buy that for you if you asked!” Prompto exclaimed from beside her. It startled her a bit, causing her to jump. “Want me to ask him for you?”

“Uh, no it’s fine,” she responded putting it back on the rack. “I was just looking.”

“Are you gonna get something?”

“I don’t know. This stuff isn’t much my style.”

“You and Iggy are soooo meant for each other!” he gushed.

“How do you figure?” Y/N asked, scrunching her nose a bit.

“You’re both from Altissia. I mean, that’s an obvious one. You both have the same accent…well, that kinda goes with the first one,” Prompto stated naming things off on his fingers.

“Hardly makes us soulmates,” Y/N comments, walking over to another clothing rack. Prompto wasn’t perturbed though and followed right behind her.

“You both dress super sophisticatedly. You seem like you have high and impeccable taste. Totally Iggy, all the way!”

Y/N glanced over at him a moment. She assumed everyone thought she was odd for the way she dressed and looked. She didn’t fit in at all. Ignis had mentioned something about it when they went out for lunch that one day. But it was always different having someone else confirm it.

“So, what, he’s not your typical twenty-something year old into miniskirts and crop tops?” she asked.

Prompto laughed out loud at that.

“I think if Ignis ever showed up with a girl dressed like that, we would all assume he’s having a stroke!” Prompto continued to laugh.

Y/N walked a few more isles and found herself in the athletic wear department. It reminded her that she had nothing to train in. If she was ever going to train again, that is. It was in her contract, so she assumed she would have to go back at some point. She didn’t want to look stupid this time or hear Gladio scold her about her attire.

“Oooh workout clothes! This is more Gladio’s specialty,” Prompto said, still following her around. He saw her roll her eyes and huff a bit when he mentioned his larger friend’s name. “Hey, uh…so you and Gladio don’t get along or something?”

“Or something,” Y/N responded.

“He’s really not a bad guy, ya know! I mean, he comes across a bit harsh. And he’s very blunt. That guy does not beat around the bush at all. Like at all! Sometimes his words can hurt your feelings, but it’s just because he doesn’t sugar coat anything, ya know?” Prompto waited for her to respond but she didn’t, so he continued. “He means well though. And he’s a great friend-“

“Well, he’s not my friend.”

“He could be! You just gotta bite back, you know what I mean?”

“No, actually. I don’t,” she turned to him, a bit confused.

“Give the guy some sass back. He either likes it when the ladies are swooning over him and batting their eyelashes and playing damsel in distress…or he likes when they give him some lip. And since you’re off limits, being Iggy’s girl and all, he’s gonna want you to be the latter.”

“Hmmm…I see. Uh, thanks,” she told him. It was good info to keep tucked away, but it still didn’t explain what he did. Prompto seemed to catch on to her exact feelings based on what he said next.

“I um…I heard about what happened. I kinda can’t believe he did that actually. Gladio is normally about protecting the ladies…not hurting them.” Y/N looks away and acted like she was looking through some of the leggings. “Noct is pissed at him. Tore into him a bit when he found out. Just…just don’t hate the guy okay? I swear he’s not as bad as he seems.”

“We’ll see,” she quietly responded.

“You’re a lot quieter than I expected,” Prompto commented.

Y/N glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Did you expect me to be loud and obnoxious?”

“Well, no. Just…I don’t know. More talkative maybe? You seem so closed off. Is it because Ignis seems reserved? He can come off that way, ya know? Sometimes I think I annoy him when I talk. Other times, I know for a fact I annoy him cause he tells me to shut up,” Prompto laughed. “But if you’re worried about impressing him or something you have nothing to worry about. Guy is completely smitten!”

Y/N just glanced at him again before moving on to another rack of leggings.

“I know what it’s like being the odd man out, if that’s it,” he continued on. “These guys grew up together and then I come along a couple years ago out of the blue. You just gotta keep talking to them and let them know you’re there. Sometimes they slip into what I like to call ‘royal mode’ and get all official sounding. Uh, I suppose maybe you would do that…being a royal yourself and all. I meant no offense, I swear!”

Prompto held up his hands and she once again just gave him a look before looking back at the clothes.

“So, uh…” Prompto started, not sure of what to talk about next. “You thinking of getting some leggings?”

Y/N glanced over at his odd choice of subject. Did she looks like she wore leggings? To be fair, though, she did need to get some.

“I don’t have any proper clothing to train in. I probably should get some at some point.”

“Why not right now? We’re already here. This is a pretty popular brand. They make all kinds of athletic wear.”

“I don’t-“ she stopped herself before she could finish. She didn’t want to bring up the subject of having no money again. “I don’t know. I might need to look around a bit.”

Prompto watched her for a moment before getting a look on his face like he suddenly had an idea. The next thing she knew he was gone. He went back over to where the rest of the boys were. Well that was fast. She had to admit though that it was a bit refreshing talking to someone. He seemed so easy to talk to and so unbothered by anything. He also seemed to have a pretty good idea of how she felt. Completely out of the loop in their friend group. Hell, even Luna belonged and had known them for a while.

A moment later Ignis appeared beside her.

“Did you find anything you want?” he asked her. “Prompto mentioned you might want something.”

“Does it matter? I was just looking at this stuff so I have something better to wear next time I….” she trailed off a bit. Still not ready to approach that subject with him. “Anyways, I was just looking.”

“Well, if you find something you like, please get it. I am more than happy to buy it for you. Especially if it is something you need and could use.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No, but I want to. This is a good brand. They make a lot of athletic wear that is popular amongst Glaives and Crowsguard men.”

“Yeah, Prompto mentioned that too. I don’t know anything about this stuff.”

“It’s a good material. It whisks away sweat nicely. And it’s thicker. A lot of leggings are made from a thin material and you can see right through. It’s almost embarrassing some women still wear that kind of stuff. You should get a pair of these. I might also suggest shorts and a tank top. And not to sound intrusive, but they also make sports bras a lot of the women wear.”

Y/N looked at him a bit embarrassed to be talking about her bras. He didn’t need to know if she needed that kind of stuff. And how does he know what types of bras other women wear? The red tint to her cheeks clued Ignis in to her embarrassment.

“I can leave you to your shopping alone if you wish. Or I can call Luna over to help you if you want-“

“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”

“If you need me, please come find me. I will be a short distance away.” Ignis knew she was still nervous in public. As much as he assured her no one knew her, she was still on edge. They were also out with Noctis, who most of Insomnia recognized as the Prince now. They were getting more attention in public than they usually did and he noticed the looks of others making her nervous.

A short time later, as the group made their way to the registers to purchase Luna’s summer dresses she bought, Ignis glanced back to where Y/N was. She noticed their movement and made her way over to them. Ignis was glad to see a few garments in her hands.

“Did you get all that you needed? We can stay back if you need more time,” he told her.

“No, I’m fine. I got what you suggested. This should be good for now,” Y/N solemnly told him.

“As you wish. If you need more, we can always come back.”

Ignis led her to the register where he purchased her items. Gladio was about to make a comment on Ignis buying her shit but kept his mouth shut when he saw what she was buying. He’s the one that gave her shit about getting something better to train in. It would be a bit too much of a dick move to then comment on her buying the items. He was doing a really good job at keeping his mouth shut this evening and not even acknowledging her. He was doing it to avoid conflict, not so much because he truly hated her. He honestly didn’t. He didn’t quite get why she seemed so mad at Ignis though. He didn’t do anything.

The rest of the evening went by uneventfully. Y/N hung back and kept to herself. Prompto every so often would try and engage her or bring her into conversation, but she didn’t seem very interested. Ignis wished he could talk to her more, or even walk closer to her. But just being around her today and having her answer him when he spoke to her calmed the nerves of his that had been frayed the last few days. It was enough comfort to make him feel at least a little better about the two of them.

After getting back to the Citadel, Ignis walked Y/N back to her room. The air was still a bit tense and odd between them and Ignis was thinking of a way to break the ice wall that was slowly building itself back up. He cleared his throat a moment before speaking up.

“If you don’t mind, going back to what you brought up at dinner earlier. What did you mean by you don’t have any money?”

“I do have money. Or at least I think I do,” Y/N responded. “Unless they drained or froze my account. It’s all gil, however. I don’t know how to go about exchanging the money. Or how to access it. Back home I just had a code they used in their registers that billed the palace or I pulled money from the safe before going anywhere. I’ve never even heard of yen.”

“I see. I will have to inquire about how to go about accessing your funds. I find it hard to believe no one thought to go over that with you when you arrived.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Oh, please don’t misunderstand! I’m not saying you are. I more so find it hard to believe no one here had the courtesy to help you. I will also find a way to get you a bank card connected to my account so you have something to use here.”

“Your account?” Y/N questioned.

“Well, yes,” Ignis started hesitantly. “I figure with us…with us marrying we would have a joint account. I mean, unless you wish to have your own or wait until after the wedding to square the kind of stuff away…”

“Oh…um, yeah, okay. I just didn’t…think of that.”

Y/N was surprised to hear Ignis say he would give her access to his bank account of all things! It felt so soon, but this whole marriage was basically a fast track. Would she need permission to use the money, though? Would he want to know everything she bought? He didn’t quite seem the controlling type, but he seemed the type to be very tight with his finances. They arrived at Y/N’s door and she started unlocking it as Ignis began to speak again.

“I’m glad you told me about it. Thank you for trusting me with that. Um, I wanted to talk to you a moment about training the other day-“

“I’m sorry I’m really tired. Thank you for today!” Y/N grabbed her bags from Ignis’ hands and went into her room, shutting the door behind her. She felt a little bad leaving him out there like that after he just offered her something like full access to his money. But she really was emotionally spent from the day.

As she walked to her bed and laid down on it, sighing loudly, the emotions started hitting her all over again. Dealing with both Gladio and Ignis today wasn’t something she had planned to do. Thankfully, it was relatively uneventful. She was a bit surprised Gladio didn’t say much of anything to her at all. He typically always had something to say to or about her. Prompto being a buffer helped. So did Noct and Luna being there probably.

The most emotional part was probably picking out her wedding dress. She had so many conflicting feelings. She was excited about finding such a perfect and amazing dress. She was happy she got to pick one of her own gowns for once. She was upset she wasn’t able to adorn the dress all of her female ancestors did on their wedding day. But mostly…she was upset her mother and best friend weren’t with her to pick out her dress. That’s something she hears every female gush over. And she did it basically with a stranger and a soldier.

Tears began to prick at her eyes. She got up and went to her dresser, grabbing a pair of pajamas and heading into her bathroom. After showering, brushing her teeth, and getting ready for bed early, she laid back on her bed. None of what she did helped distract her mind from all the emotional turmoil she was feeling. Her mind just kept racing and going over stuff over and over. She finally decided it was time to call her friend. She needed someone to talk to about all this.

It took more rings than usual, but she figured LeAnn didn’t recognize her new number. Finally, her friend answered, making Y/N sigh in relief.

_“Hello??”_

“LeAnn! It’s me!”

_“WHAT??? Where have you been? I thought you fucking died!!”_

“I know. It’s a long story. Starting with them locking my phone!”

_“Why the hell would they do that??”_

“Apparently, I need to have all international calls and texts monitored!”

_“So…are they listening in right now?” her friend whispered._

“No. It’s more that our conversations are run through software that detects certain phrases and such. Basically just don’t say anything bad about this place and you should be fine. And whispering won’t help, by the way. If I can hear you, they can,” she laughed.

_“Shut up! It’s the principal! So, they had to give you an entirely new phone? I wasn’t even gonna answer this whack number!”_

“Yup. They froze my other one. I literally can’t use it for anything.”

 _“Hold on,”_ LeAnn suddenly whispered into the phone. _“Yeah…it’s just Josiah. I’m gonna go outside to talk,”_ Y/N could hear her friend talking to someone else that just entered the room. _“Okay sorry. So, what else has been going on? Have you been locked up or something too?”_

“Locked up? No, I’m allowed to leave my room. The Citadel…I’m still unsure of the exact rules considering what happened after the contract signing. But before we get to that, what was that all about? Was that your mom? Since when would she be mad you were talking to me?”

 _“Since everything hit the news…”_ her friend informed her, as if she should know what was going on.

“What do you mean?...” Y/N asked, her stomach dropping as her heart thumped loudly in her ears.

_“Tell me about you first. What’s been going on-“_

“LEANN! What. Is. In. The. News?” Y/N demanded.

Her friend sighed into the phone receiver.

_“I’ll see if I can send you a link. Are you sure I’m not gonna be flagged or something for this?”_

“If anything, I’m the one who would get flagged. And why the hell would it be flagged? LeAnn, what is going on?”

Y/N could feel her hands shaking a bit. She was worried about what her friend was sending her right now. Maybe she should have called way before now. Something was going on and she had a feeling she was not going to like it. Her phone dinged, signaling a text had come through. When she clicked on the link, she swore her heart fully stopped.

**_ Altissian Princess Y/N Turns Back on Country _ **

_WHAT??_ She tried reading the rest of the article through the tears that pooled in her eyes.

**_Altissian Princess Y/N has officially left the country and abandoned her crown. The Princess has fled the country and is rumored to be in Lucis with her long term, secret boyfriend. All this happened unexpectedly two weeks ago. With her abandonment comes a vacancy to the throne when her mother passes, which will now be passed on to her younger brother. This will make the first male to reign in centuries. It is not certain if the pressure became too much or if there is some hidden agenda behind the Princess’ actions. It is highly advised you do not converse with the Princess if she reaches out to you. Any propaganda against the throne is to be brought to the Crown’s attention immediately._ **

“LeAnn, what the fuck??” she yelled into the phone when she was done reading.

_“Listen, I know it’s bogus-“_

“Is my mom not correcting them?”

_“No one has been able to reach the Queen for word on the subject. So the media is basically having a field day with this. That’s why I didn’t want my mom knowing you called. She asks me almost every day if I’ve heard from you.”_

“Did you explain everything to her?”

_“I’m not sure what I’m allowed to explain. After you left, your mom asked me not to discuss with anyone the details of your leaving. She said an official announcement would be made.”_

“Why doesn’t she correct them? Why would she let them slander me like that?”

_“I don’t know. I found it all weird too. People are pissed. I was so worried something bad happened to you there and nothing you were told was true. Like, they kidnapped you and locked you away or something.”_

“No…nothing like that. Well, maybe kind of. This place is hell. But that’s only because I don’t want to be here.” Y/N took a shuttering breath and wiped her eyes a few times. “This sucks! I’m over here pining for home and everyone there hates me! Is that all? Is there anything else?”

_“Every other article says the same thing. They act like they’re updating everyone, but it’s the same story told a different way. If anything new hits, I’ll be sure and let you know.”_

“I have to go LeAnn. I can’t….I just can’t…”

_“I know. I’m sorry. I wish I could change what’s going on but I’m afraid of what will happen if I do.”_

“No…I don’t want you getting in trouble. Save my number but under a different name or something.”

_“Alright. Damn. This is all so bizarre. To go from you leaving to marry some random guy to you betraying the country. If anything, they betrayed you!”_

“I tell myself that every day, LeAnn. I’ll call you tomorrow or something.”

_“Okay. I’m sorry. Talk to you tomorrow. Remember I love you!”_

“Thanks…” Y/N whispered as she hung up her phone.

What the hell was she going to do? Who the hell could she tell? Should she tell Ignis about this? Should she ask the King what the hell was going on? Last she heard, they were having trouble reaching the Queen and didn’t have any sort of word from Altissia. This was all so confusing and so fucked. She laid her head down on her pillow, and once again, cried herself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Once again this chapter is very late and I apologize. I ended up being admitted to the hospital and having emergency surgery. I got back home a few days ago and have been on bed rest ever since. I’m finally healing, but still pretty laid up. I’ve tried to edit this chapter so many times, but I can’t sit at my computer desk. So I brought my lap top into my room, but I’m either always tired and sleeping from my meds or in pain and can’t concentrate. So please forgive any errors in this chapter I missed or if something doesn’t make sense. I blame the pain meds fogging my brain lol
> 
> But thank you for holding out. I will get the next chapter edited as soon as possible. It’s getting easier for me to sit up a bit now, but still not great. The next chapter is the one I have been hinting at that you guys are probably going to enjoy. It’s something you’ve been asking for for a while now….sort of haha A HUGE mix of angst and….well im not gonna give it away. But I’m aiming to have it edited within the week. 
> 
> I swear it’s always something with me. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. But thank you for your kudos, comments, and love for this fic. You guys encourage me to do more than lay around the house sick and sleepy lol


	14. Chapter 13

Y/N lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes were raw and burned from crying most of the night. When she finally fell asleep, she didn’t sleep long. Nightmares plagued her mind. Every time she woke up, she had trouble getting back to sleep. She tried looking up more news articles in between sleeping, but as LeAnn mentioned, all the articles basically kept saying the same. All of it was speculation. And she still didn’t know what even triggered it. Who told someone she wasn’t at the palace anymore? Surely if anyone saw her leave on the boat, they saw her mother there with her as she left. That’s hardly abandoning the throne. Were they reaching out to Lucis for word on her? How long until the story reached Insomnia? Unless it already had and King Regis had a better handle on the media here than her mother did back home.

Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to lay in bed all day and wallow or look up more information, she had other things to do today. It was Luna and Noct’s engagement party. And her attendance was required. She had gotten a telegram at her door earlier this morning from the King. It would be her and Ignis’ official coming out. News of their courtship and union would spread tonight. She was asked to stay by his side and show respectful amounts of affection for the media that would be present.

It was another thing that had her mind spinning about her new situation. Would Altissia get word of Ignis being this “secret boyfriend” of hers? Would they start attacking him too? Dig up information on him? And would it help any if they found out he was Altissian? Or would him and his family been seen as people who left their country to seek citizenship elsewhere? Maybe King Regis had heard the news after all and was doing some kind of damage control. She also wondered what this meant for when she went out in public now. She always had high anxiety being out amongst people. Ignis always assured her that no one knew who she was, but after today, everyone would.

Also, what type of affection was the King looking for? Holding hands? Kissing? Dancing together? She wasn’t comfortable with much of any of it. She couldn’t say in her heart that she hated Ignis…but she was far from loving the man. She never dated before, what was she supposed to do? Would he be amused by her lack of experience? The last thing she wanted was to be embarrassed. She would hold his arm and follow him around. That was it. Maybe a dance to make it look good. If anyone asked, they were a private couple who didn’t have some kink for public displays of affection. She would leave it at that.

She figured she should start getting ready soon. It was much later in the morning than she usually got up. She would get up and shower then maybe order a light lunch that her knotted stomach could handle and then start getting ready. The party wasn’t until evening, but it was something she had to look immaculate for. If her face was about to be plastered all over the city, she wanted it to at least look good. And right now, she needed ice for her puffy eyes.

* * *

Ignis nervously picked at the chef’s salad in front of him. He seemed to be deep in thought and was quieter than usual. Gladio kept glancing up at him from the table they sat at. Noct was supposed to join them at the little restaurant they were at, but his father wanted to go over formalities for tonight and requested he dine with him in the Great Hall. Ignis wished he had gotten the memo as well. He would have joined him to make sure he could keep Noctis in line tonight. If he knew what the King requested of his son, he could make sure it happened. Noct had a knack for not paying much attention when spoken to and doing whatever he wanted. He was showing slight improvement since taking on more duties, but sometimes the new expectations everyone had for him weighed heavily on his shoulders causing him to revert back to his teenage ways.

Lunch was a bit awkward with just the two of them. It never used to be this way. Ignis and Gladio always did stuff together. Even just both of them and no one else. Neither one of them had said a word since they ordered. Ignis was busy on his phone until his meal arrived. Gladio was slowly getting annoyed and ready to end this.

“You alright?” he asked his friend across from him.

Ignis snapped his head up and looked at Gladio. He cleared his throat and went back to moving pieces of lettuce around his bowl.

“Of course,” he answered.

“You’ve barely touched your lunch. For someone who harps all of us for not eating properly, it makes me wonder what’s up.”

“Nothing to concern yourself with.”

“That’s it? Not even gonna share what has you so preoccupied?”

“I doubt you want to hear it or care.”

Gladio couldn’t help but feel a bit of a stab in his heart at Ignis dismissing him. He had to admit, he missed his friend. This not talking shit was getting to him.

“Look, can we squash this whole…thing between us?” Ignis glanced up at him. “I never dreamed a girl would come between us and I honestly don’t like it.”

“I’m not letting-“

“No, I know you aren’t. I am,” Gladio interrupted. “And I’m sorry. I guess when I always pictured you with someone it was some quiet mousey girl with glasses and an armful of books who was just as nerdy as you. Not…her. But if you like her, then there’s not much I can do. I just hate being blamed for her throwing a hissy fit during training. And all the times she gives you shit for no reason.”

“She doesn’t give me crap for no reason. And that wasn’t a hissy fit, she was genuinely hurt and caught off guard. You know how spoiled Noctis is. I imagine her upbringing was no different. But I don’t hold it against her like you do. I can see past her actions and see the reason behind them. She’s quite rattled over this whole situation. She isn’t taking it well.”

“Yeah. She ain’t my girlfriend so I guess I just haven’t cared to look too deeply into her. I just don’t like excuses and she seems full of them.”

“They aren’t excuses, Gladio,” Ignis sighed.

“Either way, her being pissed at me is no reason for me and you not to talk. I’m sorry I body slammed your girlfriend, even if it kinda felt good to do so,” Gladio smirked at his friend.

Ignis stared at him a moment. He was a bit appalled at the last part of his statement, but knew Gladio meant it as a harmless joke. Kind of. Ignis hated that the two of them had been out of sorts with each other and was willing to forgive his friend, provided he stop treating her so badly.

“Can you find it in you to stop harassing her?” Ignis asked.

“Aw, but it’s fun!” Gladio joked. “How bout this…she treats you good, then I’ll treat her good.”

“She doesn’t treat me badly, Gladio. I already explained why she acts the way she does. I do not take offense to her emotions. While I may have fallen for her at first glance, I can’t expect that she would do the same. All in good time.”

“Man, you do have it bad,” Gladio chuckled.

“I just hope she starts talking to me again. We seemed to be making such good progress. Maybe I was seeing more than was there...”

“Why the hell ain’t she talking to you? I get why she hates me. Is that why she seemed so quiet yesterday?”

“I think she’s upset with me about her training. I assured her everything would be fine and she had nothing to worry about. And you know how that story ends,” Ignis said, arching his eyebrow at his friend.

“My bad,” Gladio chuckled. “Look…do you want me to apologize to her or something? I mean, I’m not sorry for being blunt and straight with her. But I really did hold back. If I hurt her, it’s only because she doesn’t know how to fall right. I wasn’t actually going to injure her.”

“I don’t think you speaking to her will do much but agitate her. But I appreciate the offer.”

“Prompto loves her. Poor soul seems just as smitten as you are. She seemed to talk to him more than any one of us.”

“I noticed. It was interesting,” Ignis commented, glancing away a moment.

“Does it bother you?” Gladio asked, wondering if his friend was jealous at all that he’s been putting in so much work to please her and Prompto just comes along and holds full conversations with her. Well, he seemed to be doing most of the talking. But she wasn’t dismissive with him.

“No, it doesn’t. If she found someone she can comfortably talk to, I’m glad for it.”

“Soo…you gonna share with me now what has you so solem?” Gladio asked, arching an eyebrow.

Ignis sighed quietly and took a sip of his drink before speaking.

“I’m just thinking about the party tonight. King Regis is considering it mine and Y/N’s official declaration of our courtship. Our engagement will be announced in the coming days. I just…don’t know how she will take it.”

“You think she’s gonna be defiant about it? I mean, can she at least put on a show?”

“It’s more the fact she isn’t speaking much to me. I don’t want to go from being distant to forcing her to show interest in me.”

“Well, don’t make such a show of it. I don’t see you as the PDA type anyways. Offer her your arm, get her drinks, ask her to dance and just smile. I’m gonna be honest with you…you lay it on a little thick sometimes.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Ignis asked, suddenly interested in what Gladio had to say. He had secretly been yearning for advice of some kind from someone.

“You’re like…a puppy,” Gladio said, watching Ignis cock his head and squint his eyes. “I’m sorry man! I mean, I get it! You aren’t used to this stuff. But…sometimes I think you try too hard. And I watch her almost purposely stick her nose up at you because she sees you trying. That’s why I get so pissed off.”

“So…you’re saying I shouldn’t try? Show no interest in her and it will draw her to me? I don’t think that will work here. Playing hard to get isn’t the answer.”

“I don’t mean don’t show any interest. Just…back it down a few notches. And who knows, maybe she secretly wants the affection and cat and mouse is her thing.”

“I’ll try and keep that in mind. However, I’m not playing games with her.”

“Understandable. You don’t seem the type. Butttt...you know tonight could be your chance to let her in on how you feel. You almost have to show interest in each other tonight. King’s orders. Take advantage of it. If she isn’t acting like a brat like she usually does, go for the arm around the waist or something.”

“Gladio, you just told me to do the bare minimum! Now, I should make out with her?” he asked, a bit exasperated.

“I didn’t say that,” Gladio laughed. “Okay okay. I’m going to just confuse you. I’ll let you decide for yourself what you do. But keep what I said in mind. If you feel like you’re trying…you’re trying too hard.”

Ignis finally took a bite of his salad. Gladio’s advice was a bit confusing…but he thought the first part of it made sense. He would keep his distance a bit, but still show interest. He just hoped Y/N would be in a better mood tonight and able to enjoy herself. And possibly enjoy him a bit.

* * *

Y/N checked her make-up in the mirror one last time. It was a bit heavier than she usually wore it, but still soft and subtle. She wasn’t one for heavy eyeliner or harsh contouring. Her curls were tamed and hung long down her back. She opted to not put her hair up this evening. She also went with one of her favorite gowns for this evening. It was an emerald green that complimented her hair and skin tone beautifully. The skirt was satin and full, even without a petticoat. She opted to forgo the hoops under her dress tonight and let the fabric flow over her legs. The bodice was adorned with deep green gems that matched the dress. It was sleeveless, but covered her chest and collarbone, rising high on her neck. She didn’t normally have her arms on display, but with her long hair down, it helped her to feel covered. The neckline was high enough that she opted to not wear a necklace. She went with large diamond earing studs and silver bracelet lined with diamonds as well. She was fastening her second shoe to her foot when she heard a light knock at her door. It was show time she supposed. She opted to not bring a clutch with her. She wasn’t leaving the Citadel technically and had no reason to bring anything with her. She even left her phone on her nightstand. She made her way to the door and took a deep breath before opening it.

On the other side stood Ignis. His hair was perfectly gelled into place, but still soft looking. She really needed to figure out how he did that. He was wearing black dress slacks with a black leather belt. Even the metal buckle was painted dark. His dress shirt was black, as well as the vest he wore buttoned over top of it. His tie was a deep black silk. The only pop of color was a silver tie clip with a skull on it and a deep purple pocket square in the breast pocket of his vest. He wasn’t wearing a jacket, which she almost found odd.

“You…you look stunning,” Ignis whispered out.

“Thank you,” Y/N replied quietly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear almost shyly. She still wasn’t used to direct compliments like that. And she was never sure how to answer them back.

“Apologies. Hello, Princess. I‘m honored you are joining me tonight and hope you are well.” Ignis slightly bowed his head.

Y/N felt herself twitch a bit. She was anything but well. She still felt sick over the news and wasn’t able to eat lunch like she had hoped. She had lost weight since arriving in Insomnia. It seemed like every few days something new upset her. If she was completely honest, she wanted nothing more than to spill to Ignis what was going on. He seemed like he would have an answer for everything. Hell, it was his job to have answers. To figure problems out. To find solutions and deal with situations like this. But she didn’t want to ruin the night. Even if she wasn’t sure she really wanted to go to this thing anymore. She wasn’t used to media attention. She avoided it often at home.

“Hmm,” she simply hummed in response. It wasn’t a yes, but was ambiguous enough to not sound negative.

“Shall we? Do you need anything?” Ignis asked.

“No, I’m ready. Do you mind holding my key in your pocket? I don’t want to bring a pocketbook just for that,” Y/N asked, holding her key out in her hand.

“Certainly,” Ignis took the key from her hand and placed it in his pocket.

Y/N walked out of the door, making sure it was locked behind her and walked beside him toward the elevator. While they descended to the ground floors, she wasn’t sure what to do with her hands and started cracking her knuckles. A nasty habit she picked up from LeAnn. Ignis glanced over at her, a subtle look of concern on his face.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

“Maybe a little,” she answered honestly. “Everyone is going to know who I am now.”

“I know. I apologize, I know how much that makes you anxious. I can’t promise you won’t get unwanted attention, but I can assure your safety. I won’t let anyone harm you. And you saw Noctis in public yesterday. The attention is there, but not overbearing thus far.”

“Still…” she responded quietly.

“We can stay in the Citadel a few days if you aren’t comfortable going out. We can plan for the wedding here and have the caterers and such come to us. Whatever you are comfortable with.”

Y/N stood a few moments in silence. She planned on just going about her night as usual. Staying near Ignis but otherwise keeping her distance. But she couldn’t help her curiosity at what he had planned.

“I’m sorry but I have to ask…” she started.

“Yes?...” Ignis inquired.

“What are you expecting tonight?”

“Expecting of what exactly?” Ignis asked, a bit confused what she was referring to.

“Of us. This whole…announcing we’re…together or whatever. Are you wanting pictures of us kissing or something?” She couldn’t help the slightly harsh tone to her voice. She was hoping it was a warning to him that that was the opposite of what she wanted.

“Heavens no,” Ignis quickly answered. “Again, only what you are comfortable with. There’s a certain level of…interest the King is hoping to be shown. But nothing obscene or heavy. Simply being on my arm will be enough to peak their interest, I’m certain. I’ve…never attended an even with a date. Or a female. I’m always at Noct’s side keeping him in line. I’m sure people will take notice without much effort.”

Ignis turned to her and smiled lightly. It seemed a bit forced though and Y/N almost felt bad. Y/N attended many gala events with males. She didn’t have much interest in most of them. Her mother typically picked the guy she attended with. But she still went with someone.

The elevator finally dinged. The two stepped out into the short hallway that led to the large ballroom. Music could be heard coming from the open doors. So many people were already there. Y/N felt her hands getting a bit shaky. At least she knew there was heavy security all around the room and in just about every hallway. Ignis held out his arm and smiled at her.

“Ready?” he asked.

Y/N took a breath and lightly placed her hand around his upper arm. At least he wasn’t going in for the hand hold. The two of them walked together to the wide open doors. Two guards on each side nodded their heads at the couple. A male dressed in a tux standing just inside the room bowed to the two of them as they entered.

“Welcome, Mr. Sciencia,” he spoke as he straightened back up. “Your table is number one at the front with the Prince.”

“Thank you,” Ignis answered him. Instead of walking straight to their table, they made their way over to the large bar. As they got closer, Y/N recognized Gladio standing there with Prompto. They both looked so different dappered up in suits.

“Would you like something to drink?” Ignis asked quietly as they got closer. “Don’t feel pressured to drink alcohol if you don’t wish to. They have water and sodas.”

“Whoa!” Y/N heard someone suddenly and quite loudly exclaim before she could answer Ignis. “You look like a princess! I mean, duh, you are one! But like…you look…wow!” Prompto gushed. 

Gladio chuckled and rolled his eyes at the younger man’s obvious crush. He grabbed a flute of champagne off the bar and handed it to Y/N. She looked at it a moment and then up to him, not expecting him to pay her any attention once again.

“Drink up Princess. You’re gonna need it tonight,” he said, taking a gulp of his own drink. She hesitantly took the flute from him and took a sip. “Wish they’d let me have something stronger but…gotta keep an eye on our little Prince.”

“As is your duty, Gladiolus,” Ignis lightly scolded. “You don’t have to drink that if you don’t wish,” he said, turning to her.

“What, you don’t drink?” Gladio asked her.

She was still a bit puzzled why he was acting so casual with her. What happened to the insults? To the attitude? Weren’t they just ignoring each other yesterday?

“Not usually, but I’ll indulge at events,” she answered.

“Oh Six…it’s the King!” Prompto loudly whispered and went pale. He attempted to straighten himself up and looked like a soldier at attention.

“Good evening!” King Regis greeted the small group. “Ignis, Y/N, it’s nice to see you both. Y/N, it’s been a little while. I hope everything has been going well.”

“Yes, thank you,” she lied, smiling. She didn’t want to dwell on her shit show life tonight.

“Wonderful. I hope you both enjoy yourself tonight. It won’t be long before you both have your own engagement party. You two look lovely.” He nodded his head and made to walk to another group of people.

Clarus was right behind him. Before he walked away as well, he grabbed the flute from Gladio’s hand and set it back on the bar.

“Mind yourself tonight, son!” he harshly scolded, and then walked off to join Regis.

“Yeah, yeah…” Gladio rolled his eyes and picked the glass back up when his father walked away. “There’s our royal pain in the ass now. I should go sit at the table with him and Luna. If dad catches me away from him for a damn moment tonight, my ass is toast.”

Gladio walked off toward the front of the ballroom where Noctis and Lunafreya were seated. The King would be seated up on the small stage in front of them next to Clarus, Cor, and Drautos.

“Would you like to be seated as well?” Ignis asked. “Dinner will be served shortly.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Y/N answered, taking another sip of her drink.

“Prompto, will you be joining us as well?” Ignis asked the smaller man.

“Oh, yeah! Noct got them to seat me at their table. Pulled a few strings, but he said Cor cleared it!” the hyper blonde answered.

“Very well. Shall we?” Ignis started walking over to the table. Y/N only then realized she hadn’t let go of Ignis’ arm yet.

He guided her over to the table in the front of the room. The centerpieces were beautiful white and baby blue flowers. The vase on their table was vastly larger than all the others, making it obvious their table contained the two guests of honor. Luna and Noct glanced up as they approached the table and both of their eyes widened a bit.

“Oh, you look amazing Y/N!” Luna gushed. “You both look very nice together!”

“Thank you, Lady Luna,” Ignis replied, bowing his head slightly.

He gently removed Y/N’s hand from his arm and pulled out a chair for her. Setting her drink down on the table and tucking her large skirt, Y/N sat in the chair and waited for Ignis to join her.

“Aren’t they crazy adorable together?” Prompto bounced into his seat beside Y/N.

At least she had someone between her and Gladio. She still wasn’t sure how to take the way he was acting tonight. It was probably some game and he was going to pull the rug out from under her later on. Y/N glanced over at Noctis, sensing his eyes on her. He kept looking between her and Ignis.

“Yeah…they do,” he quietly said before glancing back down at the phone hidden in his lap.

“Noctis, please put that away for the evening,” Ignis scolded.

“Nothing is even going on right now!” the Prince whined, not even looking up from the game he had just started.

Ignis rolled his eyes and took a sip of his champagne. Y/N took another few sips of hers, not sure what else to do right now. Conversation didn’t flow well for her between Ignis’ friends. She noticed the drink was quite strong. A very expensive brand of champagne, no doubt. She knew it wouldn’t be long before a familiar warm tingle would begin to form in her belly and head. Maybe that’s what she needed tonight. To just forget for a night. Forget where she was. Forget where she longer was from. Forget her mother. Forget her country tarnishing her good name. Forget any of the last month had even happened.

Y/N picked up her glass and emptied it, promptly raising her hand to signal to the waiters walking around that she would like another. Ignis gave her a slightly surprised look, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to sound like he was being overbearing or nagging at her. She was nervous and it probably was helping to calm her a bit. A young waiter in a tux took notice of her raised empty glass and came to tend to her.

“More champagne miss? Or would you prefer wine?” he asked her.

“Do you have a sweet white?” Y/N asked, preferring something a bit stronger than champagne.

“Of course! Let me go get that for you. May I help anyone else at this table?”

Everyone nodded their heads no and continued conversation. When the waiter returned with her drink, Y/N quickly downed a good third of it before setting it on the table in front of her. Ignis raised an eyebrow but still chose not to comment. He caught Gladio looking at him across the table and glanced his way. His friend was smirking at him and mouthed “Good luck!”. Ignis hoped Gladio wasn’t right and that he wouldn’t be carrying his fiancé home drunk out of her mind. He would wait to say something, though.

It wasn’t too much longer before the food was served. The night was going faster than Y/N thought it would. When Y/N’s food was delivered, she emptied her wine glass and requested another. With her nerves not as on edge thanks to the alcohol running through her system, she was starving. She had barely been eating lately with everything going on. The smell alone was making her mouth water. A rare steak fillet with asparagus, parsley mashed potatoes, and apple puree with cinnamon. Y/N picked up her knife and fork and immediately dug into her plate, quietly sighing to herself over how amazing it tasted. Even though she didn’t typically eat red meat much, she couldn’t deny that how great her steak tasted.

“How is your dinner?” Ignis asked her.

“It’s amazing! I haven’t…been very hungry lately,” she mentioned, looking down at her lap. “It’s good.”

Ignis couldn’t help the small smile on his face at seeing Y/N eating. He had noticed her drop in weight and was starting to get concerned. He feared she wouldn’t eat much tonight either, knowing that she wasn’t a fan of steak and not yet familiar with the vegetables she favored. When Noctis was picking the menu, he tried suggesting a pasta option, but Noct insisted on steak. He actually insisted on pizza or burgers, but Ignis flat out refused to request that be served at such a prestigious event.

“I’m very glad!” he smiled. “I observed the ingredients and watched the kitchen staff cook the meat. If ever you would like it in the future, I recorded the recipe and can easily replicate it.”

“Oh…okay,” Y/N responded. He watched them cook it and wrote it down? Why not just ask for the recipe? She shrugged it off, not bothering to dwell on it. It had actually slipped her mind that he liked to cook.

“You gotta make this again for us some night!” Prompto exclaimed. “Right Noct?”

“As long as he doesn’t include the asparagus. And these potatoes need butter! And sour cream. Or gravy,” Noct complained.

“They were already made with both butter and sour cream, Noctis,” Ignis replied.

“Well they need more. And this apple puree is just fancy applesauce.”

“Applesauce is just that. Apples pureed. So yes, you are correct,” Ignis sighed.

Y/N couldn’t help a small chuckle that left her mouth at Ignis’ sarcasm. Everyone glanced over at her, surprised at the noise. No one had even seen her smile, let alone heard her laugh. Even Ignis himself glanced her way. It must have been the wine, she figured, quickly composing herself.

The rest of dinner continued on with light conversation amongst the boys and Luna. Every so often, her and Prompto would address Y/N to try and include her, but she kept her answers quiet and short as usual. It wasn’t until after dinner when their plates were cleared and light conversation continued around the room that her fourth glass of wine she was currently on was going to her head and making her open up a bit more. She would laugh periodically at stories Prompto and even Gladio told and followed the conversation going on rather than just stare down at her lap.

“Noctis, you and Luna should probably make your way around the room a bit. Everyone came to see the both of you tonight and you need to show face a bit,” Ignis instructed the Prince.

“Urgh, I hate this kind of stuff!” Noct whined.

“Oh come on, just a little while,” Luna encouraged, standing from her seat. She grabbed Noct’s hand and led him away.

“And that’s my cue to get up as well. Time to follow the Prince like a lost puppy and play bodyguard,” Gladio sighed, getting up and following shortly after them.

Ignis glanced over at Y/N, hoping she was still in a good mood.

“Y/N, perhaps we should make our way around the room as well? Appearances are important tonight, lest we forget.”

“Umm…yeah. Sure.” Y/N stood from the table and ran her hands down her hair a few times in nervousness.

“Apologies for leaving you alone Prompto. But Y/N and I are required to make an appearance as a proper couple this evening and I have a few people I want to introduce her to.”

“Ahhh, no problem Igyy!” Prompto waved them off. I’m gonna go check out the dessert table!”

“Very well. Shall we?” Ignis asked Y/N, offering his elbow to her again to take.

She emptied her wine glass and then pulled her hair to right side and grabbed Ignis’ arm with her left hand. As the two of them started walking away from the table, Ignis leaned down a bit to quietly talk to her.

“There’s someone in particular I would really like you to meet tonight.”

“Okay…” she responded, not sure of who he could be talking about. She was starting to feel a little nervous again, but the alcohol sloshing around in her brain wiped it away pretty quickly.

“But first, perhaps we should start a little gossip around the Citadel?” he asked, but didn’t wait for an answer before he walked up to two men in Glaive uniforms talking to each other. “Good evening gentlemen.”

“Hey, Ignis,” one of the men greeted him. “Is something wrong?” The men were on duty tonight and were suddenly looking around the room for the Prince, fearing his advisor came to inform them of a situation at hand.

“No, the evening is going quite well. I wouldn’t let Cor spot the two of you mingling by the cheese table, however,” he eyed them. “Drautos lets you guys get away with a lot more than Cor does and we both know he won’t hesitate to scold you both, even if you aren’t his men.”

“Ain’t that the truth!” the other guy said, rolling his eyes.

“Before you head off, I’d like you both to meet Princess Y/N of Altissia….my fiancé.” Ignis smiled over at the girl on his arm.

“Fiancé?” they both asked in unison.

“So it’s true…you are actually here. We got some kind of weird security detail on some higher up from another country who’re been here the last month, but was told it was predominantly Crownsguard detail since she isn’t of the Caelem House and not our responsibility. No idea it was you. This the secret boyfriend then?” the shorter man asked, pointing to Ignis.

Y/N couldn’t help the slight widening of her eyes. They knew. They had to have seen the articles about her. Ignis glanced at her, tilting his head a bit confused.

“I wouldn’t say secret. We’ve been out around-“ he started before Y/N interrupted.

“Don’t believe everything you hear, eh?” she giggled, eyeing both men.

“Hmmm…I suppose. It was quite a dramatic story,” the taller Glaive answered.

“What stor-“ Ignis began before once again being interrupted.

“Who are these two men, by the way?” Y/N asked, looking back at Ignis.

“Oh, apologies. This is Nyx Ulric and Libertus Ostium. Both highly esteemed Kingsglaives.”

“Very nice to meet the both of you,” Y/N smiled.

“I’ve seen you around the Citadel a few times. Wondered who the girl in the ball gowns was. Nice to meet you too,” Nyx told her.

“Probably be seeing you more from now on, eh?” Libertus asked.

“Yes, probably,” Ignis responded. “But as you mentioned, she’ s mostly Crownsguard detail. It was nice speaking with you both, but we’ve others to speak with before the night is over. Thank you!”

“Later Sciencia,” Nyx waved a hand in the air at the two of them.

After walking a few feet away, Ignis glanced around the room as if looking for someone in particular.

“Well, that covers probably half if not more of the Citadel,” he smiled, glancing at her.

“Gossips?” Y/N asked, arching an eyebrow.

“More than you know. Especially Libertus. And once their friend Crowe knows, you’ll be the talk of the place before morning,” Ignis winked at her. “Ah! There he is. Please, this way.”

Ignis led her further through the room to a small group of men in fancy suits. She couldn’t help but notice one man speaking in a familiar accent and who resembled Ignis a bit. As the two of them approached the group, said man glanced at them and then smiled before turning back to the group before him.

“Please, excuse me gentlemen,” he turned and walked a few steps to meet the couple. “Ignis. Good evening.”

“Good evening, Uncle. I would like you to meet Princess Y/N,” he motioned to her. “Y/N, this is my Uncle. Another prominent advisor here in the Citadel.”

“The pleasure is mine, Y/N. It is wonderful to have you here and an honor to hear you accepted Ignis’ hand,” he bowed to her.

Y/N wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. She didn’t know which of Ignis’ family members came from Altissia. Was it his parents? His grandparents? Multiple generations back? How familiar with her and her family was this man? And how familiar was he with her and Ignis’ situation? She wouldn’t say she accepted anything! It was simply forced into her hands. She quickly reminded herself that tonight she was refusing to be upset or angry, however, and dipped her knees in a greeting of her own.

“It’s nice to finally meet someone from Ignis’ family. I’ve only met a few people he knows,” she responded.

“We shall have to have you for dinner some time at my brother’s house. I’m a bit surprised you have yet to meet them,” he glanced over to Ignis.

“Well, I’ve-“ Ignis began before Y/N interrupted. She could see he looked a bit flustered on how to answer his uncle.

“It’s my fault,” Y/N chuckled lightly. “The move hasn’t been easy on me between learning everything new and planning the wedding. I’m afraid I’ve been a bit cooped up in my room a lot of the time.”

“Well, that is understandable,” Ignis’ uncle laughed along with her. “Be sure and clear your schedule sometime before the wedding, if you can.”

“I will. It’s kind of you to extend an invitation.”

“Certainly! Please excuse my manners, but I need to speak with someone before they take an early leave,” he bowed before walking off.

Y/N bowed her head slightly in return, smiling at him. Ignis turned to her after watching his uncle walk away. A gentle smile adorned his lips. That went a lot better than he had hoped. He knew he wished to introduce the two of them tonight, but was on edge all day about how Y/N would be feeling about being around him. While her attitude had yet to truly upset him, he didn’t want it upsetting anyone else, especially his family. He already had Gladio and periodically Noctis down his back about her behavior, he didn’t want his uncle urging him to call off the wedding or disapproving of her. Once a Sciencia had their mind set on something, it was hard to change it. He knew Y/N would have to work twice as hard to win him back over if she gave a negative impression tonight.

Y/N spotted a man walking her way with a tray of drinks and grabbed one as he brushed past. She was starting to notice more and more camera flashes aimed her way and was getting a creeping feeling up her spine. She hoped no malicious tabloid writers made their way in the Citadel this evening. Last thing she needed was some picture of her mid-sneeze or something talking about Sciencia’s ugly new bride.

“Are you truly alright this evening?” Ignis quietly asked.

She turned and noticed him glancing at the drink in her hand. What number glass was she on now? She wasn’t sure. But one thing she did know was that she may have drank the previous glasses too fast. She didn’t give the alcohol in them time to hit her gradually. Instead, it was all hitting at once.

“Of course! It’s a party, why wouldn’t I be alright?” Y/N asked, giggling a bit.

“Well, I know you were nervous earlier. Just making certain you are still feeling alright. If at any point you wish to leave-“

“Nonsense! Did you want to speak with anyone else?”

“Sure,” Ignis lightly smiled, although it was a bit forced. He did have others he wanted her to meet. He only hoped instead of being dismissive, she wouldn’t instead be obnoxious.

The two of them made their way around the room, casually talking with various people Ignis knew, as well as some he didn’t. Y/N smiled the whole time, even laughing and joking with a few of the less serious and uptight people they ran into. She spoke a lot more than Ignis anticipated. He couldn’t deny how happy he was feeling. He was almost certain it all had to do with the alcohol she had consumed, but he still let himself enjoy the evening. He caught himself wondering if this is what their future held. If she would eventually get used to all the new changes in her life and open herself up and get to know him. A small flutter in his heart let him know it was something he was looking forward to.

Y/N and Ignis made their way back to the table a moment to rest after walking around and standing for over an hour. Ignis figured Y/N would like to rest her feet a bit. The two noticed that Noctis and Luna were back at the table, as was Gladio.

“Oh, hi Y/N!” Luna greeted her as she sat down. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yup!” she exclaimed, smiling wide.

“Glad some of us are,” Noct rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, tell me about it! I’m stuck following around a moody sulking teenager!” Gladio spat, eyeing the prince.

“Shut up! I hate these kinds of things! We all know that.”

“I think it’s nice!” Luna cooed. “It’s a great way for me to get to know people. Right, Y/N?”

“Yeah, I used to hate these things too,” Y/N started, grabbing a few nuts out of a bowl on the table. “I wasn’t allowed to mingle much though. Just hung out with my date dancing most of the evenin-OOH! Let’s dance!” she suddenly exclaimed, standing up and grabbing Ignis by the hand as she did so.

He stood a bit ungracefully and glanced at Gladio who had his jaw slack and his eyebrows halfway up his forehead, clearly surprised. Even Noct looked a bit taken back. Y/N pulled him out onto the dance floor before turning around and facing him.

“I’m sorry, do you know how to dance?” she asked.

“Of course I do.” Ignis replied, almost insulted she would even ask. He took many dance lessons growing up. He was a bit hesitant to place his hands on her, however. It was never an issue for him before. It was simply where one’s hands went when dancing with a woman. But placing his hands on her hips in this moment felt so…intimate. This would be their first dance together. It would be special to him.

She suddenly looked just as shy as he was feeling. She slowly put a hand on his shoulder and held her other hand up for him to grab. Not wanting to leave her hanging, he quickly took her hand in his and lightly moved his other hand to her hip. She seemed to flinch ever so slightly when he touched her, but he chose not to dwell on it. Slowly, the two of them turned and began a simple waltz. She let him lead but knew every move and executed them perfectly.

Ignis couldn’t help the warm feeling overcoming him. The slight hitch in his breath. The warm glow that felt like it was radiating from his core. He couldn’t remember if he’d even blinked yet. His gaze was locked on her slightly flushed face. The smile that had been in place on her lips for the majority of the evening. The warmth between their touching palms. This is what he had hoped for. This is what he had been envisioning since the evening he left the King, suddenly an engaged man. Every time he spoke of Y/N to his friends, every time he pictured their future together, every time he was asked about her or defended her…this is what he was picturing.

He knew it was the alcohol. He wasn’t blind. But how could he keep this feeling between them? This bliss. What did he have to do to see her smiling and being this carefree every day? He was very grateful for her change of attitude tonight…but it only left questions. Would they ever be this way together? Would he have to rely on wine dates to get his wife to enjoy herself?

For a moment, he glanced over Y/N’s shoulder and caught Gladio’s gaze. His friend still had his mouth slightly open. When he noticed Ignis looking at him, he shrugged and gave him a thumbs up.

Y/N’s own mind was running a million miles a minute. She had let herself just be free tonight. She wasn’t going to overthink. She wasn’t going to get upset. She was bound and determined to have a good night. She had to admit that talking to everyone was a bit boring. She played the part of pretty arm candy and laughed and smiled when needed. Otherwise she didn’t pay much attention to the conversation and already forgot half the people she was introduced to.

In the current moment, however, she was almost numb. Ignis’ cologne was further intoxicating to her already intoxicated brain. His palm, although slightly sweaty, holding hers felt different than any other man’s she had held. His hand on her waist felt warm against her skin under her layers of skirts. She had danced with many men in her life, but none of those moments felt like this very one. She could almost picture them together this way. Almost see the two of them happy together. Just…almost.

“Excuse me…I need to use the washroom…” she quickly pulled away from him.

“Of course,” he replied, a look of concern on his face. “Do you need me to-“

“No, thank you,” she interrupted, quickly making her way across the room.

Ignis made his way back to the table after stopping at the bar for a soda water.

“That was…interesting,” Gladio commented.

“She’s so different tonight,” Noct commented.

Ignis just smiled lightly, glancing back at the hall in the corner of the room watching for her to return. She finally did just in time for official toasts and announcements to begin. She seemed less solemn and back to being giggly. He also noticed she picked up yet another glass of wine on her way over.

The rest of the night continued on uneventfully. Ignis and Y/N danced again to a bit of a faster tune this time around. She was openly laughing and talking with his friends. She never quite hit the point of being belligerent or sloppy, though, and for that Ignis was thankful. They were asked by a couple different photographers for their picture together and she posed tastefully, smiling. At one point, King Regis rejoined them and commented on the lovely pair looking so well this evening. A few times, Y/N was left alone while Ignis was called away to make appearances next to Noct. Y/N tried her best not to let those small moments get to her head. Ignis had reminded her to drink some water or have a snack to fill her stomach and she would walk around a bit waiting on his return.

Before she knew it, the night was winding down and everyone was departing. Ignis decided he would walk her back to her room before returning to the ballroom to end the night next to Noctis, who was expected to be the last to leave for the night. He would quickly escort her to her room and be back on his way.

The two of them made their way to the elevator. Y/N was fanning herself a bit with her hand. The alcohol in her system was making her a bit flush and heated. She still wore a smile on her face, though, and Ignis couldn’t help but feel one form on his face as well. When they reached her door, he pulled out her key from his pocket and handed it to her. He noticed, as she was unlocking the door, that she still hadn’t let go of his arm. As she pushed the door open and stepped inside, she pulled him in with her and shut the door. She threw the key down on the dresser nearest the door and lifted her skirt a few inches to kick off her shoes.

“Ohhhhh my Shiva, that feels so much better!” she exclaimed at the sudden relief of having her heels off.

Ignis chuckled lightly, still a bit unsure of what to do.

“I imagine it does. I often don’t know how you women do it.”

“Sooo…” Y/N started, turning toward him. “You think they’re satisfied?”

“Who?” Ignis asked.

“The media. The King. Think they got what they wanted from us?”

“I do believe we looked lovely together tonight. Not to mention you were a bit forward with some of them. I’d say they know we are together, yes.”

“What about you?” she asked, cocking her head.

“What about me exactly?”

“Did you get what you wanted from me tonight?”

“I had a lovely time, yes. You’re a great dancer.”

“Hmmmmm are you sure?” she squinted her eyes a bit and touched a finger to her chin.

“Of course I am. You’ve very obviously taken lessons and dance very-“

“I’m not talking about dancing,” Y/N interrupted. “I think you want more from me.”

“I want only what you wish to give me, Y/N.” Ignis answered, not entirely sure what she meant.

“Is that so? Hmmm… Come on Ignis. You’re a man. Men want more than dancing.”

Ignis felt his stomach twist in both desire and nervousness. He wasn’t quite sure how to approach what she had said.

“I can not deny…that I am very attracted to you. And very drawn to you. However, I’m interested in all of you. Not just something physical. And I will wait as long as you wish for anything like that. I don’t ever want you to feel rushed when it comes to anything physical between us.”

“Come on…Iggy,” Y/N used his nickname Prompto seemed to use the most. “What do you want? Hmm?” she whispered, moving closer to him.

Ignis backed up slightly but didn’t have much room until his back hit the door.

“I….I told you, I-“

“Be honest. Come on, you can tell me! Do you want me to kiss you?” she continued to whisper lowly, her face inches from his.

“Well, I mean…I-“

“Tell me,” she cooed sweetly, tilting her head a bit.

“Yes…” he quietly responded, barely audible. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears and wondered if she could hear it too. “But I think you may be intoxicated and-“

“Do you want me to…touch you?”

“Nn!!” Ignis gasped out as her hand came in contact with his groin. She easily found where he was tucked away in his pants and cupped him through the fabric.

“Like this…huh?” Her eyes were glassy as she gazed up at him.

“I-I…..Y/N I don’t think-“

“Oh? You don’t like this?” she feigned being hurt, teasing him.

“No, I…it’s not-“

“You don’t like your fiancé touching you like this? You want me to stop?”

“I….no, but I don’t think-“

“Does it feel good?” she whispered against his ear.

“O-of course! But, Y/N, please-“

“You want more?” she asked, pulling her hand away but only to unbuckle his belt. She made quick work of his zipper. He lightly grabbed her wrist, but she kept moving her hand under the light pressure. His mind was so torn between letting her continue and making her stop. He wanted this. Six, did he want this. But something felt so off about it. He didn’t want her regretting it later on. She was clearly intoxicated and not herself. Suddenly, Ignis felt cool air on his lower region.

“Ohhh Ignis! What’s this?” she beamed, voice breathily and light. 

Ignis glanced down and saw his hardened member freed from his pants and boxer briefs. He couldn’t help the deep crimson shade that filled his cheeks. He moved to cover himself in embarrassment but she just batted his hand away.

“Is this for me?” she sweetly asked, grabbing ahold of his bared, hard shaft. Her touch further hardened him to stone in a matter of minutes. She stroked up and down, enjoying the soft velvet feel of his skin. “Ooooh, you like that?”

“Y-y-yes,” Ignis stuttered. What should he do?! His mind was almost numb from ecstasy. He knew he should pull her hand away. He knew he should tuck himself back in his pants. He knew this was highly inappropriate. But he just couldn’t form the words or go through the motions of stopping her.

“Is this was you want from me? Do you want me to make you feel good? You want my hands on your cock?”

Ignis’ eyes widened at her vulgar language. Words he never imagined coming from her lips. Her full, beautiful, red lips. His mind was wandering to her mouth and how he wished to feel it on his. His breath was speeding up and coming out in loud pants now.

“Ahh! I-…Princess...I really think…”

“Really think what? Do you need more?” she asked, applying more pressure with her hand and moving up and down his member faster. She stopped a moment at the head, moving her fingers over it quickly a few times before going back to long strokes. “This is what you want, isn’t it? You want me to pleasure you. To make you feel good. I bet you want more than my hand, though, don’t you?”

Ignis’ hand let go of her wrist as he brought both arms up against the door behind him. His hands grabbed his hair a few times, lightly tugging it. What the hell was happening? How did this even happen? Her words made his loins begin to swirl. He recognized the pull in his balls and stomach from the few times he had gotten himself off in private. He was about to orgasm. He wasn’t sure if he should, though. His mind was complete chaos and he had no idea how to think straight.

“”AHH! I-I-…Oh Shiva!” he gasped out.

Y/N used her other hand to start lightly squeezing his balls. Ignis’ eyes kept going between squeezing tightly shut and every so often opening wide. Every so often he glanced down at her hands working up and down his throbbing dick and he’d squeeze them back shut, overwhelmed with ecstasy.

“Please, Y/N. You don’t have-…You don’t have to do this.”

“But it’s what you want right? Aren’t I here to give you what you want? To please you. To pleasure you. To give you fucking everything!” Her voice got a bit louder with each statement. She almost sounded angry but he wasn’t sure of anything at the moment. Other than the fact that he wasn’t going to last much longer.

“I’m gonna….I’m gon-…Ohhhhh Six!” he panted. His hands were rubbing up and down the door behind him. He didn’t know what to do. Where to touch. Could he touch her? Was he allowed? He decided against it for fear she would suddenly stop. And at this point, he definitely didn’t want her to stop!

“Oh, yeah? You gonna cum? Are you going to fucking cum Iggy? Yeah, that feels good, huh? Are you gonna give it to me? Gonna show me what you got? This is what you want from me, isn’t it?!”

Ignis couldn’t take her talking like that. It was too much. He was never one for filthy talking but something about her saying those things sent his mind into overdrive. He was done for. This was it.

“Oh, Shiva! Oh Shiva! I’m gonna….yeah, I’m…ohhhHHHHHMMMMM!!!!!” he suddenly yelled out. He felt her touch his chest briefly and then felt something soft covering the head of his member. His eyes were screwed tightly shut so he wasn’t sure what it was. He was trying so hard not to yell out any louder than he already did. He held his breath through the first intense pulses of his cock. As they lessened in intensity, he allowed himself to start panting again. “Oh Sixx!”

He looked down and noticed the purple pocket square that was in his vest was being used to catch his ejaculate. At least her mind was clear enough to think of that. He was thankful he didn’t have to further embarrass himself by cleaning his fluids off of her floor. As his mind finally started clearing, what happened was starting to hit him. He never in his life expected this tonight. What brought this on? Was she that drunk? Oh heavens! She was drunk! He allowed her to do such a thing completely intoxicated! He feared how this was going to pan out in the morning.

“Mmmmmm that’ s better, huh? All these people. Always wanting something from people like us. Never listening. Never caring. Just me being selfish with my secret boyfriend huh?” Ignis frowned at her words. What was she talking about? “Well, now they know! Now it’s out. This is what everyone wants!”

Y/N stepped away and tossed the cloth in her hand into the wooden hamper in the corner of her room. Ignis stood still against the door watching her, forgetting he was still hanging out of his pants as he slowly softened. What now? Did she want him to please her back? He wasn’t even sure he knew what to do! He never did it before.

“Um…do-“

“Thanks for the fun evening Ignis,” Y/N stated before walking into her bathroom and shutting the door. A few moments later, he heard her shower running.

Ignis tucked himself back into his pants. He tucked in his shirt and fixed his vest. Should he…just leave? She acted like the night was over. He was honestly pumping himself up to maybe kiss her cheek goodnight at her door. Not…get pleasured against it. His heart rate was still racing and is hands were visibly shaking. He really needed to get back to the ballroom. He ran his hands down his clothes once more, hoping he didn’t look as disheveled as he felt and opened her door to leave. As he stepped into the hall and shut the door behind him, he stood a moment and ran a hand over his face.

What the hell just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo…..lol Maybe I felt a little bad for our poor Ignis and gave him a little treat. Keep in mind tho that tonight was drunk princess. She isn’t going to entirely be that forward in the future or talk that way any other time. She was full of emotions and full of alcohol. I gave us a bit of a break from all the angst but as you can imagine, it will hit again full force in the next chapter when our princess has sobered up and emotions get expressed. So don’t get too excited thinking they are suddenly happy together. And also don’t be turned off if dirty talk isn’t your thing. 
> 
> I’m slowly but surely getting back to myself as best as I can. Thank you all for your well wishes, comments, and even just still reading my work. I truly appreciate all of you. Again, please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors. I'm still on heavy pain meds and my brain is muchy sometimes lol


	15. Chapter 14

Ignis stared blankly at his computer screen. The document he was working on still more than half blank. Every time he attempted to finish it, his thoughts would drift again. He hadn’t been able to keep his focus all morning. It took him a few seconds to even register the meeting he was in earlier had ended. It was the scraping of chairs on the floor that stirred him from his thoughts and signaled his cue to leave. His notebook barely had but a few scribbled words on it. It was this moment that he was thankful for his vast knowledge and further self-studies that meant he probably didn’t miss too much. He still scolded himself for possibly missing an important piece of information, though.

He was scolding himself now, as well. He wasn’t behind on work. In fact, he was usually ahead. However, with both Noct and his own nuptials upcoming, a lot of his free time had been spent making plans rather than reading various news articles or documents produced by the secretary of the Citadel, or even just light reading from a library book for his own enjoyment.

His thoughts were stirred this time when Gladio coughed and adjusted his slouched position in the chair across from his desk. The action made Ignis jump a bit and brought Gladio’s gaze up to his friend.

“What’s with you today?” Gladio asked, furrowing his brows.

“Whatever do you mean?” Ignis asked, adjusting his glasses before putting his hands back in place on his keyboard.

“You’ve been sitting there staring off into space for the last forty-five minutes!”

“I doubt it has been that long-“ Ignis starting before cutting himself off when he glanced at the clock on his desk. It really had been that long. “I suppose I just have a lot on my mind. There is a lot going on lately, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Nah…it’s not that. When do you ever not have a lot going on? You handle stress with the grace of an angel, Iggy. I’ve seen you under stress. Both the good side and the bad side of it. And you never daydream when under stress. You haven’t been mentally present in this room but for five minutes. And I swear your eyes dilate every so often.”

“Perhaps it is a lack of sleep.”

“Nope, doubt that either. You’ve been this way since last night.” When Ignis glanced at him questioningly, he continued on. “After you walked Y/N back to her room and came back, you’ve been acting super weird. You were all flustered and skittish.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at Noct’s side at this moment? Why do you seem to be in my office more than with him?” Ignis tried changing the subject.

“He’s training with Cor today instead of me. Cor wanted to see his progress for himself by sparring with him. Oh, that reminds me…Cor mentioned he would train with Y/N if she doesn’t want to train with me. But she needs to get back to a schedule. Thought I should give you a heads up. Also, keep in mind, Cor ain’t gonna be any more lenient with her than I was. In fact, he’s probably gonna tell her to get over herself and schedule her back with me. Something to think about when making a decision. You might want to fill her in.”

“I appreciate the information,” Ignis said.

“Now, quit changing the subject. Back to you. Did something happen last night after you left the first time? Did she throw one of her royal fits again or something? She seemed to actually be in a good mood for once last night and really friendly-“ Gladio suddenly stopped. “Wait a minute…you got a kiss goodnight, didn’t you?” Gladio smirked and pointed at his friend.

“No,” Ignis denied. He technically wasn’t lying. “I did not get a kiss.”

“You’re lying! I recognize that look now. It all makes sense. You totally got a smooch.”

“No, Gladio. I did not,” Ignis stated again, looking Gladio directly in the eye. “I…she didn’t kiss me.” Ignis wasn’t sure how much he should say. In fact, he didn’t want to say anything but he knew his behavior peaked Gladio’s interest.

“Well she did something! She has you all out of whack lately and this time it’s different.”

“I…she…I don’t know what you would call it.” Why was he still even talking about this? Maybe he just needed to tell someone to get it out of his mind and into someone else’s.

“Well try and explain it,” Gladio pushed, sitting up in his seat and closing his book. He was super curious now. What did she do to fluster poor Iggy?

Ignis could feel his cheeks heating up. He could feel the heat of embarrassment stretching out through his body, his blush reaching his toes at this point. He regretted ever continuing this conversation. But the look Gladio had right now was one Ignis recognized. He wouldn’t back down until he got the information he wanted. Gladio would push and push and bother and pester until Ignis gave in. Might as well get it over with now.

“She…well, she…pleasured….me with…her hand…” Ignis practically whispered out. After a few moments of silence he glanced up to see Gladio’s mouth wide open and his eyebrows practically in his hairline. Ignis moved his eyes around the room trying to distract himself from the moment that seemed frozen in time. It wasn’t until he sighed and scratched the back of his neck that Gladio spoke again.

“She gave you a handjob??” he squeaked out in a high pitched voice of disbelief.

“Would you keep your voice down?” Ignis scolded, getting up to close his office door.

“I absolutely will not! This is…holy Six! Sooo….how was THAT?” Gladio asked.

“I’m not going to share details with you, Gladiolus!” Ignis huffed, taking his seat again.

“Oh come on, Iggy! The first time another person touched your dick and you’re going to keep quiet on me? Damn, she was drunker than I thought!”

“That’s the problem!” Ignis suddenly exclaimed. “She was drunk! But I couldn’t…”

“Couldn’t tell her no?” Gladio smirked. “That good, huh? Yeah, it happens to the best of us.”

“This isn’t something to joke about! I shouldn’t have let her go through with it!”

“Well, did you reciprocate for her?”

“No…”

“First of all, I wouldn’t say you did anything wrong. She may have been intoxicated and out of her shell last night, but she wasn’t overly drunk. She still had enough of a handle on herself to know what she was doing I would say. Just talk to her about it today and gauge her feelings on it. If she’s upset with you, it’s not like you haven’t dealt with that before from her. And second, if she is mad and claims it’s not because she thinks you took advantage of her, I guarantee it’s because she’s mad you didn’t reciprocate! Girls are always complaining about not getting off. You need to give her something too next time!”

“I don’t-“ Ignis stopped himself from saying anything further. He knew Gladio knew of his inexperience with women, but he didn’t feel like mentioning it out loud to him right now.

“Don’t know what to do?” Gladio smirked again and chuckled a bit.

“I’m so glad you find this amusing!” Ignis replied sternly.

“Come on Ignis! I have never seen you even so much as flirt with a girl before and now here you are, an engaged man having your first sexual experience as an adult! Humor me just a little! I’m not making fun of you, though, I that’s what you think. I’m your best friend. I’m here if you need advice.”

“Again…I will keep that in mind but I’m not one to share my personal business. Especially pertaining to…these particular matters.”

“Yeah, I figured you’d be like that. Still putting the offer out there. Sooo…you think this is gonna change anything between the two of you?”

“I have no idea. I’ve been mulling over it almost all night.”

Ignis was quite honestly ashamed of himself. He can’t believe he allowed himself to act in such a way last night. It was nothing like what he hoped their first time being intimate with each other would be like. He couldn’t stop berating himself all night. How could he just be so weak and give in to something so ridiculous? It was merely a…hand job, as Gladio put it. He had fought temptation his entire life without a second thought, but last night got the best of him.

He couldn’t just tell Y/N that it meant nothing or that he was displeased by it. She would take it the wrong way for sure. He was too embarrassed to bring it up to her to speak about, though. In their alcohol hazed minds, it wasn’t as mortifying in the moment. He barely had anything to drink, but it was enough to bring his walls down lower than he had intended.

He also couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing it was. To have another’s hand on himself. A hand belonging to a beautiful woman who he intended to marry. He got hard all over again while lying in bed last night playing the event over in his mind. He wanted to bask in the high it left him with, but uncertain questions prevented that from happening.

It seemed every day something new happened he didn’t expect. Something goes wrong or awry or catches him by complete surprise. He wasn’t used to his life being like this. He was always prepared. Always able to pivot and approach in a different light. This was all a mess, however.

He had no idea what to do.

* * *

Y/N sat at her vanity combing her freshly washed hair. It was already after lunch time and she only just got out of bed an hour ago. She hadn’t had a hangover since she was in high school and snuck out with some friends. Her pounding head kept her sleeping longer than she intended. She also was avoiding thinking about what happened last night.

She had finally let herself let loose and be carefree. She put her troubles and feelings behind and didn’t allow herself to care about much for any length of time. And it was actually fun. She truly enjoyed herself. She knew it was mainly because of the alcohol. It allowed her thoughts to disintegrate and stop staying so stuck in her mind. She even, dare she say it, enjoyed Ignis’ company. He was actually a great dancer. He had terrible jokes, but it almost made him…cute. He looked dashing in the suits he wore. And then there was his….Well, she wasn’t disappointed, she will say that. It was true what she heard; the lanky nerdy boys were the most hung.

She didn’t want to keep dwelling on that, though. She honestly wanted it out of her head. She can’t believe she allowed herself to do something like that last night. What must he think of her now? That she’s some common whore who stroked boys off under the influence? Her and her stupid emotions. She shouldn’t have had that last drink. It was just enough to send her from floaty and giddy drunk to emotionally charged drunk. She let her thoughts get carried away thinking about her mother and everything going on back home and all the events she has coming up in the next month. That soon she would be having her own engagement party. All to please everyone but herself. She knew Ignis didn’t demand things from her or expect them, but she still blamed and accused him anyways. She still took her frustrations out on him. Not that he seemed to mind. He looked to enjoy himself quite a lot. She remembered everything about last night. Nothing was hazy, as drunk as she was. And she didn’t blame him for not stopping her harder. Her intent was to get him off. She would have probably been more offended if he turned her down.

Picking up her phone, she finally decided to call the one person she could talk to about last night. It only took two rings for her friend to pick up.

“You are never going to believe what I have to tell you!” her friend exclaimed as she answered, not even bothering to say hello.

“I gave Ignis a handjob last night…” Y/N answered back, ignoring everything her friend had said.

“Okay…never mind! What I had to say can wait…WHAT?!?! How did that happen??”

“I got drunk. And upset. And decided to take it out on him,” Y/N rubbed a hand down her face, mumbling her words a bit.

“By rubbing his cock?? I usually just cry and eat junk food.”

“I’m not a whore, LeAnn!” Y/N bit back.

“I never said you were! Don’t get upset. This is me you’re talking to. I’ve done way more than give a shy boy a handjob after a night of drinking. I’m not judging you. It’s just…wow. Unexpected.”

“You’re telling me! I had zero intentions of touching the man and I go and throw that all away last night. I can’t just take it back!”

“Zero intentions? At all? Not even like…later?” LeAnn asked skeptically.

“Zero! I told you I wanted nothing to do with anyone here!”

“I mean, you can at least have a little fun!”

“LeAnn!”

“I’m serious! If you have to suffer living there and it’s really as bad as you say, at least get something out of it! Kick him out of the bed when you’re done. You don’t have to be completely miserable. Doesn’t seem like you’re as miserable as you say you are anyways…”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Y/N asked, getting a bit heated.

“It’s what I had to tell you! A picture of you and Ignis on the cover of Altissian News Gazette shows you having a grand ole time with your ‘runaway lover’,” LeAnn giggled.

“They printed a picture already??” Y/N exclaimed. “That was just last night!”

“Well, someone emailed or text a photo real quick over here. You two look good, by the way. Just sayin…I don’t know what the fuss is, really. He isn’t entirely bad looking.”

“What does the article say?”

“Which one?” LeAnn rolled her eyes, even though her friend couldn’t see it through the phone. “You know there’s at least two different stories already and I’ve only just started looking at the gossip columns online.”

“Give me the two printed story versions. I’ll worry about the rest later. I still have yet to see what they said about it here.”

“So one story is making it all out to be scandalous. Someone caught the two of you out together, oh my six she’s dating the Prince’s advisor, she’s pledging herself to another kingdom behind everyone’s back, she’s been betraying us all along…blah blah blah. The other one, however, has a comment from none other than your mother!”

“WHAT? What did she say?” Y/N intrigued.

“Basically completely clears the air. That you didn’t run off in the night. This was in the works for a while now. It’s a treaty between kingdoms agreed upon by all parties. She mentions there was never an order to seek you out or not to communicate with you. It was all gossip, which that one is a lie. Things were so damn tense here for a while. No one was to speak of you or with you. I don’t know what kind of game she was playing. But, I think this brought you a bit out of the spotlight because it’s all about your brother now and the first male King to rule Accordo in generations and what that means for everyone. And leave it to your mother to take credit for everyone liking a King coming to rule, and it was her plan all along…the usual shit.”

“I…URGH! Why would she let everything go on like that? And just act like it’s nothing?! People weren’t even allowed to talk to me and she just blows that off?” Y/N practically shouted.

“If you ask me, I think that Camelia bitch had something to do with that.”

Y/N hadn’t even thought about that. While her family ruled the kingdom, there was an elected official secretary who took care of most citizen general affairs. And more times than not, she exercised her powers beyond what should be allowed.

“I didn’t even think of that…” Y/N commented more to herself. She was getting fed up with all this misinformation and all around weirdness going on with her mother. She needed answers. “I need to call my mom. I need to talk to her.”

“Do you think she’ll answer this time?”

“I’m going to call until she does!”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it then! Call me after! I’m not done talking to you!” LeAnn demanded.

“Alright…I’ll call you later.”

Y/N hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She was nervous but more angry than anything. Her mother had a lot to answer for! She dialed the number she knew by heart and waited to see if she would pick up. Her heart almost stopped when after three rings , she heard her mother’s voice.

“Hello?”

Y/N sat there a moment almost forgetting what she even called about. She was surprised her mother picked up, but also, it had been so long since she even heard her voice.

“Hello??” her mother demanded.

“…mom?”

“Y/N…I was wondering if you were ever going to call me.”

“I’ve tried calling you on more than one occasion! You never answered! Nor would you allow anyone to even connect me to you!”

“That sounds absurd-“

“It’s true!! Don’t even lie about it!” Y/N shouted.

“Oh do not call me a liar, Y/N. That is most ridiculous! I won’t have you talking to me that way.”

“Mom…, “Y/N started, feeling the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. “I am really upset and conflicted right now! And the last thing I need is us fighting. I need answers. Why did you allow everyone to say all those things about me? To be told to not even talk to me?! I saw the headlines mom! That was not okay!”

“The things LeAnn must be telling you-“

“It’s not LeAnn telling me things! It’s her sending me actual links to articles being printed there! I’m reading it word for word! You can’t hide what happened!”

“I’m not hiding those articles from you. You were bound to see them at some point.”

“But why? Why did you let it go on the way it did? Why didn’t you correct them? And why the hell won’t you answer Insomnia when they contact you?”

“…how would you know anything about that?” he mother hesitated.

“Because I’m on the council mom! They asked me what you were hiding!”

“Did you…get in any kind of trouble for it?” her mother asked quietly.

“No. They just seem suspicious.”

“You let me handle that. There are things…things you don’t know about. Things that yes, I hid from you. But you will understand why in time.”

“No! Do not give me that crap! I’m owed answers!”

“This is beyond what you need to know. There are things out of all of our control. We can only do so much to prevent them but…” her mother trailed off a moment and got quiet. “Well, you needn’t worry about these things. Tell me now, how is Ignis? You two looked lovely together by the way.”

“It was all a show mom! I was told by the king to make us look good.”

“That was not a fake smile, Y/N. You forget I know you better than that.”

“Well…I was drunk. So whatever,” Y/N brushed her mother’s comment off.

“He doesn’t seem a bad person. Why don’t you tell me a bit about him-“

“MOM! I don’t want to sit and make nice small talk with you! I am so angry with you!”

“And I am only protecting you! I did what needed to be done and half of it was for nothing! It’s all ending regardless!” he mother shouted back.

“What…what are you talking about?” Y/N asked hesitantly.

“It doesn’t matter. I told you to not bother yourself with this. I must go now. I hope you are doing well. Keep me updated, won’t you?”

“Don’t you hang up!” Y/N shouted but it was too late. She heard the click on the other line going dead.

She couldn’t believe her mother! What was she hiding? And what was she claiming to protect her from? She couldn’t possibly try and play off this whole marrying her off as protecting her! She hated when she was treated like a child incapable of comprehending kingdom affairs.

Y/N stood from her seat at her vanity and marched next door to Bernard’s room. She banged her fist on the door a few times. He answered almost right away.

“Princess! What a pleasure!” Bernard declared. It seemed he barely saw her much, with her always staying locked away in her room. “How may I assist you?”

“I need to know what you know!” she ground out.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked, not having a clue what she meant.

“I know you know something!” Y/N pushed passed him, not wanting to have this conversation in the hallway. “What haven’t I been told? What has mother told you?”

“Pertaining to what, exactly?” he asked, shutting the door.

“Oh come on! I just talked to mother-“

“You spoke with her?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“Yes…why?”

“Oh I just…no one has been able to reach her lately. Even the people of Insomnia. I’ve been questioned quite a few times about why she may not be answering. I can’t get her to take my calls, only messages and emails.”

“So she isn’t talking to you either?”

“Unfortunately, no. She asked for weekly updates but all she says is a stern ‘thank you’ in response to my emails.”

“What about before I left? What did she tell you? About why I was moving here?”

“She only told me what I’m sure you were told. I wasn’t told to keep anything a secret.”

“What is she claiming to protect me from?” she kept questioning.

“I imagine there is a lot she is protecting you from, Y/N. This world is far different than most of us ever thought.” Bernard seemed to go a bit quiet and get distant.

He knew something. Even if he didn’t think he did or even if he wasn’t directly told not to tell her about it…he knew something. Maybe he even figured something out on his own. But he wasn’t going to budge. His whole life was spent protecting her, and he wasn’t going to stop now. The difference was Y/N knew if Bernard was protecting her from something, it was serious.

She had to figure out what was going on.


	16. Chapter 15

Y/N sat at a table in a dining hall resembling the Great Hall they usually dined in with the King. The thick wooden table in front of her was covered in multiple plates all containing various hors d’oeuvres. She recognized many of the seafood items. Some containing shrimp and fish and other various seafood. Coming from a place surrounded by the sea, she grew up eating many of these foods. Some were very strange to her, although she was assured they were Accordo cuisine. Perhaps it was another case of simply food resembling what they thought people of her home country ate, like that dreadful fast food restaurant she was shown by Ignis.

Speaking of the always prompt and timely man, Y/N fidgeted uncomfortably waiting for him to arrive. She had been sitting here for fifteen minutes already as plates were brought out one by one. She pulled her cell phone from the thick, ribbon belt wrapped tightly around her waist to check if he maybe text or called her about his absence. There was nothing. Frustrated, she tucked her phone away and gave her attention to the staff in the room.

She had to pick the hors d’oeuvres for their wedding that was happening in just a few short weeks. She was really hoping for Ignis to join her so she wouldn’t feel so awkward and alone. She also kind of wanted his opinion and to see which flavors and foods he favored. She admittedly knew very little about her fiancé still. The upset part of her mind pushed her forward to continue on without him and even to purposely disregard what he would like.

She ended up going with all seafood options. She chose buttery, flakey lobster cakes that melted in her mouth. Shrimp tartlets, rich in flavor. Smoked oyster spread on crackers and bacon stuffed clams. She normally wasn’t a huge fan of bacon, but the flavor combination was something she never tasted before and she had to admit she enjoyed it.

“Thank you all for your time,” she smiled, as she stood from her seat and exited the room. The smile on her face left before she even made it to the door. The workers were kind, but she was in no mood to be friendly right now. Where the hell was Ignis?

She pulled her phone back out as she made her way down the hall. She would text him and hope for some kind of reply explaining himself.

**Y/N: Where were you?**

Y/N continued to storm down the hallway to her room. She doubted she would want dinner any time soon after eating all that she just had. The amount of options they gave her were almost intimidating and over the top. At least she was pretty much assured she would still be getting the grand wedding she always dreamed of. Well, hardly what she dreamed up, but grand none the less.

She decided to call LeAnn when she got back to her room. She hadn’t talked to her in a few days and wanted an update on what was going on back home and if her friend found anything out for her. She was still suspicious of her mother’s motives and what she was hiding. Something was brewing behind the scenes, she was sure of it.

”Ya know, I keep thinking you call at the most random times and then I have to remember the time zone difference. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” her friend answered, as usual without a typical hello.

“Did you find anything else out?” Y/N asked her.

“Straight to the point I see. Hello, yes I’m doing fine thanks for asking! I slept wonderfully, how about you?” her friend sarcastically joked.

“I’m in a bit of a mood, forgive me,” Y/N sighed.

“When are you not?” LeAnn laughed. “So, your brother wasn’t much help. He’s always been a bit of a douche but it’s magnified now that he’s assured the throne. It has gone STRAIGHT to his head. He claims he wasn’t in on any of it and was just as surprised when you were shipped off.”

“He barely even said goodbye to me! He didn’t care one bit!”

“I didn’t say he cared, I just said he didn’t know about it. Or, found out around the time you did. He mentioned your mother has been super distant and moodier than usual, but your mom has always kind of been a ticking time bomb you had to walk on egg shells around. So I’m not sure if that really means much.”

“That tells me nothing, actually. Even if she wasn’t always like that. I don’t want to know her mood, I want facts and details about what’s going on. Feelings mean nothing. Trust me, I know, because no one seems to give a shit about my extreme moods or feelings right now. They just write me off as a bitch and move on.”

“Any progress with the boy band?” her friend asked, referring to Ignis’ small group of friends.

“Haven’t seen any of them, actually. Not since the party the other night.”

“Still not training with Gladdy Daddy anymore?”

Y/N rolled her eyes at the nickname, although she still had to admit he was attractive…even if a complete dick!

“No, but I was told I would have to get back to training soon. And if not with him, then with Cor who is the head of the Crownsguard. He doesn’t seem too intimidating to me but I have this feeling he would flatten me in a second as well and send me home crying.”

“Sounds sexy.”

“He’s old! Although I did find out through reading some of the old reports from the council that I was almost sold off to be married to him! So…dodged that bullet I guess.”

Y/N could hear her friend tapping on her phone as she spoke. Probably texting another one of their friends. Y/N felt a pang of sadness in her chest at the thought. None of her other friends had bothered to contact her at all to see how she was doing. She knew she could text them too, but it was the fact no one cared to get ahold of her. Maybe they had asked LeAnn about her. She was afraid to ask her friend if they had, scared the answer may let her down further.

“Okay I just looked him up,” LeAnn started back up. Apparently she wasn’t texting anyone. “He is not bad looking at all! Got that…older man, dad look, ya know? But without the dad bod.”

“Well, he’s single and has been his whole life from what I hear, so have at him and good luck!”

“How bout you and four eyes? You talked with him yet since the whole blow job incident?”

“It wasn’t a blow job! It was a weak ass, drunkin hand job. And no. I haven’t seen him. He was supposed to join me today to taste hors d’oeuvres for our wedding, but was nowhere to be found. I can’t even get ahold of him.”

“Sounds like both a delicious and disappointing day. Was the food good at least?”

“It was amazing. Well, what I chose was. Some things were flat out gross. They were trying to tell me that leukorn liver was an Accordo dish! I have never in my life eaten any part of that animal!”

“Those shits are too majestic to eat. How have you been surviving over there with food like that?”

“Losing weight by the second, I assure you,” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Well, all this talk of food is now making me hungry for lunch. I’ll call you if I hear anything more.”

“Or sooner even if you don’t! I’m dying over here without you.”

“Always so dramatic!” her friend laughed. “I’ll call you later. That better?”

“Yes,” Y/N fake pouted. “Bye bitch.” She hung up the phone and flopped backwards on her bed. Now what was she going to do to pass time?

Eventually she settled on straightening her room up a bit. She called down to the laundry service to dry clean her dresses and a maid to scrub her bathroom. She had another council meeting the following day and picked out one of her more grand gowns to wear to it. Eventually she ordered room service before taking a bath and settling into bed. As she rolled over to her other side to find a more comfortable position, she heard her phone ding. Probably a text from LeAnn once again forgetting the time difference. She rolled over to read it and was a bit surprised to see who it was from.

**Ignis: I was busy assisting Noctis today in his office. Was there something you needed?**

Y/N huffed and tossed her phone back onto the bedside table without responding. Asking her hours later, in the dead of night if she needed anything? And he was just busy? That’s it? He couldn’t take a moment to come down with her?

* * *

After another draining council meeting, Y/N found herself again in a dining hall with a full spread of appetizers in front of her. And just like the day before, Ignis was nowhere to be found. Y/N really didn’t feel like putting up with this alone again. Those old assholes on the council drain every ounce of her energy. Her nerves are on edge the entire meeting. She couldn’t help but notice that Noctis was absent. Wasn’t he required to be here? Or at least Ignis in his place? Then again Ignis was always insistent that he not know some of what was discussed in that room.

Once again fed up with his absence, she sent him a text.

**Y/N: Again??**

The appetizers were just as good as the food she ate the day prior. She once again went with all maritime food. Ignis better be a fan of the sea, because she was not relenting until he showed up.

Later that night as she was getting into bed, she once again received a reply from him.

**Ignis: I’m afraid I do not understand. Is everything alright?**

And once again, she didn’t respond back.

* * *

Y/N decided to take her chances and go to the great Dining Hall for breakfast, hoping maybe Ignis would be there and she could get some answers from him. It only took two steps into the room to realize his absence, but unfortunately she couldn’t turn and leave quick enough.

“Miss Y/N!” Regis exclaimed. “How wonderful to see you! Come join us! You are just in time.”

Y/N flinched a bit and sighed before walking over to the table and sitting where she first day the day she arrived. She really didn’t plan to eat with everyone this morning. She only came to talk with Ignis. Noctis was seated at his end of the table, along with Lunafreya and Gladio.

“Good morning, Y/N! How have you been?” Luna’s gentle voice greeted her.

“I’ve been alright, thank you for asking,” Y/N responded, sitting down in her chair and awaiting the server to bring her a plate.

“I hope you like French toast! It’s one of my favorites. I like mine with chocolate syrup and strawberries,” Regis told her.

Y/N actually did enjoy French toast. She ate it often back home. They usually stuffed it with cream cheese and caramel, but she wasn’t going to be picky today.

“I do, actually, yes.”

“Wonderful! Feel free to choose from any of the fruits in front of you to add to your plate,” Regis exclaimed, gesturing to the many bowls of fruit laid out across the middle of the table.

Y/N picked up her fork as a plate was set in front of her. She felt a bit uneasy eating in front of everyone as usual, but even a bit more uncomfortable with Cor sitting beside her. She wasn’t quite sure the role he played sometimes. She had been in this room both when he was standing at attention in the corner of the room on guard and when he was seated eating like he was a friend. It left her very confused and unsure of how to act around him.

“He doesn’t bite,” a voice chuckled quietly from somewhere at the table.

She wasn’t quite sure who had said it, but she was thinking it was the King’s shield. It was enough to snap her attention back to the plate in front of her as she slowly cut the sweet bread slices into delicate small pieces.

“I think you’re right, Reggie. That would have been a comical pairing, indeed!” Clarus smirked, taking a drink from his coffee. King Regis laughed out loud before taking another bite. Everyone else at the table looked at each other a few times, confused about what was obviously an inside joke.

“The heck are you talking about?” Noctis groaned, rolling his eyes.

No one answered the Prince, knowing it was a rhetorical question and he really didn’t care.

“So, to what do we owe the pleasure of being graced with your presence this morning?” Gladio asked, taking a large bite of sausage.

Y/N stared at him a moment. She was tempted to ask him where Ignis was, but didn’t want them to ask questions. It wasn’t exactly uncommon for a woman to want to be with her fiancé, but they would either take it all the wrong way or knew she was never with him much and be suspicious. Saying she didn’t know where he was or that he never joined her when he was supposed to looked bad on them. She made the mistake of glancing beside her where Cor sat before answering him though. And that was all Gladio needed to know the answer to his question.

“People typically eat first thing in the morning. And this is where breakfast is served, is it not?” she retorted.

“Yes, but it’s never where _you_ eat,” he retorted back.

“Eating in one’s room gets…lonely from time to time and I thought I would join you all this morning.”

“And we are glad you did so!” Regis beamed.

“Yes, I haven’t spoken with you in a while!” Luna spoke as well. “I’ve been quite busy myself with wedding plans, but we should have tea one afternoon!”

“I’m busy, myself, but I’ll let you know!” Y/N smiled at Luna, hoping it looked convincing enough.

She wasn’t in the mood for tea with Luna. While the other woman was nice enough and not a bad person by any means, she just wasn’t Y/N’s vibe. She missed LeAnn. What she wouldn’t give to have one of their nights together in each other’s presence again. Phone calls were nice but didn’t compare to actually being together.

“Did you come hoping to see anyone in particular?” Gladio asked, apparently not done questioning and teasing her.

“And what makes you think that?” she asked back.

“Just curious I guess,” he smirked before taking a swig of coffee. “It’s a shame Ignis missed this rare moment.”

“Indeed,” she said through gritted teeth.

“You’re starting to sound just like him!” the King laughed.

Y/N sent a quick look his way wondering what that even meant. She took a bite of her French toast and decided to excuse herself.

“I must apologize for making this so short, but there are matters that need my attention,” she wiped her mouth, standing from her chair. All the men except King Regis and Prince Noctis stood as well as she excused herself. A sign of respect she wasn’t quite used to or expected in her current position. “Thank you for a lovely breakfast.”

Y/N quickly walked from the room and down the hallway. Where the hell was Ignis? The man suffocates her at times with his notes and flowers and dinners and of course the one time she wished to speak with him and he wouldn’t even answer his phone. Granted, she had yet to actually call him…

She decided to do just that. It was incredibly odd that Noctis would be without him. She swore Ignis was with the prince more than his own shield was. She selected his contact information in her phone and put it up to her ear. The ringing seemed to drown on and on, fueling her anger with each ring. Finally she heard his voice, but was quickly disappointed when she realized it was his voicemail.

“URGH!” she yelled out, turning quickly and throwing her arms out in frustration.

“WHOA!” a voice yelped, startling her from somewhere below her.

She glanced down to see Noctis’ blonde friend hunkered down with his hands up defensively. She took a few steps back and he rose back to a standing position and smiled at her.

“Are you alright?” he asked, a small look of concern on his face. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have gotten so close, I thought you heard me call your name.”

“No, I didn’t…” she responded, not sure of what else to really say. Why was he standing so close to her? She remembered him being the most harmless of Ignis’ group of friends. Probably the nicest as well. He always seemed to have some sort of compliment for her.

“I’m sorry! You look really nice today, by the way,” he said, turning a bit red in the cheeks.

And there it was. She wasn’t sure if it was endearing or annoying. Considering he was one of the only people that was nice to her around her, she didn’t quite find it annoying yet.

“Thank you,” she quietly told him.

“So, uh…you okay?”

“Yes. I was just…aggravated. I have a lot of planning and things going on and…couldn’t get ahold of someone is all.” She decided against telling him she was looking for Ignis. Although, he was a friend of her fiancé and possibly knew where to find him. “Say, um…you don’t happen to know where Ignis is, do you?”

“Nah, sorry. I never know where that guy is. He’s always somewhere though!” Prompto told her, bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet.

“Yes, apparently…” she mumbled to herself.

“Do you…need me to track him down for you?” he asked.

“No, but thank you. That’s kind of you to offer.” She couldn’t bring herself to be rude to him. Something about his innocence and kindness almost prevented it without her even knowing. She rubbed her hands down her face and sighed loudly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, Prompto! I am fine. I just…am getting a headache is all,” she lied.

“Would caffeine help? It’s pretty early in the morning. That usually helps me when I start to get headaches. I used to drink a lot of soda and basically made my brain crave it or something the doctor told me. So every so often when I get headaches, I drink a tea or coffee,” he explained.

“I don’t feel like leaving the Citadel right now, but thank you. And I just came from the dining hall. I don’t wish to return there.”

“We could go to the café on the first floor of the Citadel…” he offered.

Y/N turned and gave him a look he couldn’t quite place. It looked like a mix between surprise and anger.

“There’s a fucking café INSIDE the Citadel?” she asked him.

“Uh…yes?” he said, a bit unsure still if she were mad or just perturbed.

“Do they…sell teas there?”

“I’m pretty sure they do! They have a huge menu, I don’t even think I’ve paid attention to half of it. Iggy goes there all the time and gets those canned Ebony drinks. He probably stops there eight times a day.”

Well, that certainly peaked her interest.

“Would you mind…taking me there?”

“Oh, of course!” Prompto excitedly exclaimed. “It’s like my first escort mission! Wait! Am I allowed to do this? Does someone else have to be with you?”

“No, that’s only if I leave the Citadel walls. I’m free to walk the halls as I please.”

“Oh, okay then! This way!”

Prompto led her to the elevators and they made their decent to the first floor. Prompto kept the small talk going, even though Y/N was barely responding. Bless his damn heart, he tried.

“Sooo…how are you liking it here so far?” he asked as they exited the double doors or the elaborate elevator.

“Do you want an honest answer or what I think you want to hear?” she asked.

“Well, honesty is best I think…”

“I hate everything about this place.”

“Oh…I’m, sorry…”he said, not quite sure how to respond to that.

“If you were ripped from your home and raised somewhere where it seemed like no one even liked you, how would you feel?”

Prompto took a moment to answer. Little did she know his personal story. That he, himself, wasn’t from here. That he had been born and raised behind enemy walls. Raised to hate Lucis and everyone in it. To ruthlessly kill his very best friend.

“Yeah…I get it,” he responded softly.

“I highly doubt you do, actually.”

Prompto didn’t respond to that. He wanted her to go on believing whatever it was she did about him. Because nothing could be as bad as the actual truth.

As they neared the end of the hall they were walking down, Y/N noticed a heavy aroma of coffee and bakery goods. They came to an open area with large staircases on each side. The wall facing the café counters was made entirely of tinted windows. No one could see in, but it gave a beautiful view of the gardens behind the Citadel. Tables and chairs littered the open area with various officials in suits and robes eating and drinking while immersed in their phones and laptops.

None of the people seated or in line were Ignis, though.

Y/N felt disappointed but still got in line to order something. The three bites she had for breakfast weren’t much to hold her over and unfortunately her next food tasting for the wedding wasn’t until later that evening. Her mood peaked when she got closer to the counter and noticed her beloved peach tea on the menu.

Y/N opted to bring her drink and muffin to her room, thanking Prompto for showing her to the café and buying her items for her. She felt sitting down with him to enjoy their purchases together was a bit odd and would be awkward. While he wasn’t unpleasant to be around per se, she didn’t know him enough to want to be.

To waste time before her next food tasting, Y/N wrote a bit in her journal and later decided to check out the gardens she saw behind the windows at the café. She never noticed them before. It was possibly because she had a room so high up that it was hard to even make out the ground below. She also tried not to look outside so much. As much as she felt trapped inside the Citadel walls, it hurt even more at times to look outside and see such a foreign city. She wasn’t at the point of wanting to embrace her “new home” yet.

Before long she finally made her way upstairs to the smaller dining hall she had been frequenting that week. She was actually a bit excited to try the larger entrees. She only hoped they had actual Altissian food.

The longer she sat there and the more the table in front of her filled with food, the more she realized that once again, Ignis would not be joining her. She was certain that she hadn’t heard him wrong. He had mentioned they would both be there. He told her about his love for cooking once again and that he wanted to get to know her tastes better. To get to know her better. And to also join her so she didn’t feel so alone or awkward…which was exactly how she felt every day this week.

She once again bypassed all the food she was unfamiliar with and anything having to do with Lucian cuisine. A pumpkin ravioli with white wine parmesan cheese sauce caught her eye. She adored pumpkin stuffed ravioli. A simple bite of the dish in front of her instantly brought her back home to one of her favorite restaurants her and LeAnn would frequent on Sunday afternoons together.

“Excuse me…would you be able to add a crusted bread sprinkled over this?” she asked, missing one of her favorite parts of the dish.

“Of course, my lady,” a woman in a white apron assured her.

“I think an asparagus would complement this nicely. Be sure to also drizzle it in a bit of sauce as well.”

“As you wish!” the lady smiled at her.

“And…” she paused a moment in thought. “a bit of spinach cooked in as well.”

“Certainly.”

“It needs another side though, yes?” she spoke more to herself than to the women and men in the room.

“Perhaps a protein such as chicken-“

“No. No chicken,” she interrupted a young man’s suggestion. “Everyone adds chicken to pasta dishes and I just don’t get it.”

“Would you prefer a more exquisite meat? We have a list of delicacies you can easily add to any-“

“No. Portabellas with mozzarella and basil. How does that sound.”

“As you desire, Miss,” the head chef bowed and moved to grab her plate from the table. “Is there any other dished you wish to try?”

He almost looked disappointed that she didn’t try anything else he had made. There must have been at least ten different plates in front of her. Some didn’t even look remotely appetizing. Some looked like she wouldn’t mind the taste…possibly. A fish and a lobster dish caught her eye, but she figured she had enough seafood with all the other things she had chosen so far.

“No thank you. But I do wish to finish my plate if you don’t mind,” she told him.

“Oh, o-of course!” he stammered a bit.

The other staff removed the remaining plates in front of her as a few kitchen workers stood around a bit awkwardly as she ate. No one expected her to finish anything, but simply to taste and judge based on plate and serving appearance.

She hated the attention. She could feel her heart racing a bit at everyone staring at her and just standing around. She noticed the head chef watching each plate being removed with an almost look of sadness. She felt the smallest pinch of guilt in her gut at disappointing him. Perhaps that’s what caused the next words to come out of her mouth quietly.

“Pumpkin ravioli was my favorite food growing up.”

He seemed to have heard her, however, if the small smile he gave her was anything to go by.

**Y/N: I hope you like pasta**

That was all she had sent him this time. And just like the last few nights, he seemed completely oblivious when he responded back well into the night.

**Ignis: I do enjoy many pasta dishes, actually. Which is your favorite?**

* * *

**Y/N: Can you at least come pick me up, please?**

Y/N pulled out her phone and glanced down at the message she sent almost thirty minutes prior. It showed that the text had gone through, so she was knew it wasn’t an error on her end. She was starting to worry about what to do. Bernard was standing beside her on the sidewalk in front of a large floral store.

She had just spent the last hour and a half picking out flowers, bouquets, and table arrangements. Ignis had instructed her to meet him there precisely at ten in the morning. She had been following the schedule he had given her the week prior exactly as it stated. But he still had yet to make any sort of appearance at any of them.

She was more nervous now than any of the previous times without him, however. She wasn’t allowed outside of the Citadel walls without an escort. She figured Ignis would be with her but when she arrived at the front gates, he was nowhere to be seen. She hadn’t been able to get ahold of him all morning to see what the plan may have been. Normally he picked her up at her room. When she told the guards at the door that she was to pick out flowers in town with Ignis, they sent a glaive along with her. She immediately called Bernard to join her so she wasn’t alone with the strange man.

“Is there some place else you need to be?” the glaive asked her, probably wondering why they were just standing around on the sidewalk.

“I’m waiting on a ride, thank you,” she snapped him a bit.

“I can call us a car,” he responded.

“Someone was supposed to send me one.”

“Should I check on-“

“No! I am fine, thank you!” she snapped again.

As she turned back to look down the street, she noticed a car slowing and pulling over toward the sidewalk. Her heart sped up a little wondering if he had gotten her text and came for her. That feeling quickly left when she noticed it was Cor driving the car. He rolled down the window and addressed the glaive they were with.

“You’re dismissed. Contact Drautos with further instruction.”

“Thank you, sir!” he responded, before walking the other direction and pulling out his phone.

Y/N stood there a moment looking at Cor wondering if he was really who had come for her. And why him exactly? Was she in some kind of trouble? She couldn’t have been. She had one of those soldier people with her. She didn’t leave alone.

“Get in,” he told her, wondering a bit why she was still standing there.

Bernard opened the backseat door and bowed to her. She walked over and carefully slid herself into the backseat, tucking her long skirts in with her legs so he could shut the door. He made his way around the back of the car and joined her in the backseat on the other side.

“Were you…sent to get me?” Y/N asked a bit hesitantly.

“I was asked to come pick you up. I’m returning you to the Citadel unless you have somewhere else to be?” he asked, looking back at her in the rearview mirror.

“No…back to the Citadel is fine.”

She couldn’t help the burn in her eyes and tightness in her throat. Her lip trembled slightly as a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and sniffed, unintentionally bringing Bernard’s attention to her. She noticed out of the corner of her eye his look of concern. He opened his mouth to no doubt ask if she was alright, but Y/N held her hand up to silence him and subtly shook her head back and forth. She didn’t want to bring Cor’s attention to her right now or even discuss the emotions rolling through her. She may not have exactly liked Ignis the way she should, but she didn’t hate that man either. He seemed a small rope to grasp onto since she had been here and always came running when she demanded him to. All she wanted was to not feel so alone anymore. She didn’t want to pick out wedding details with him because they were sharing something special, but she wanted to not feel so alone in this whole ordeal. Why was it the moment she seemed to truly want him at her side…he wasn’t?

**Y/N: I hate you**

_….sent._

* * *

Y/N woke up early to a surprise knocking on her door. She wasn’t expecting the hair and makeup team that was sent to her room to assist her in getting ready for the wedding that day. She figured that would all be left up to her, but was assured they had it all taken care of. She did have to admit, it felt a bit nice to be doted on again. She missed the women who assisted her in getting ready many days back home in the palace.

There was a mix of nerves and slight excitement for the day’s activities. She was interested to see how a royal wedding in Lucis looked. It would also give her a bit of a taste of what she was to expect at her own in a month. Not quite on the scale of what Noct and Luna’s wedding would be, of course. But Ignis assured her, she was still getting a large elaborate wedding in the Citadel.

She also knew she would finally see Ignis today and be able to demand some answers from him. She wasn’t looking to ruin his day…but probably pretty close to it. At least there would be a reception and alcohol for them to easily loosen their minds.

The thoughts back to a week ago at the wedding rehearsal and just how much her mind loosened caused her cheeks to redden. Maybe she wouldn’t indulge this time as much as she had then. She never in a million years imagined she would do something like that at the end of the night. She wasn’t even sexually promiscuous when she would sneak alcohol back home and get drunk in secret with her friends.

A feeling of dread hit her stomach when she wondered if he would be expecting something similar again tonight. He didn’t seem the type, but you could never be sure with some people. Or worse yet, what if he wanted to return the favor to her? She was nowhere near wanting anything sexual from the man, or wanting to give anything either. Perhaps that was the reason he was so dodgey lately. From what she gathered a bit from everyone, she was Ignis’ first girlfriend…or whatever they were. He was never with another girl, be it dating or otherwise, before. So he was either just as hesitant as her, but for other reasons. Or he got a taste and wanted more. While the latter was a compliment technically, she still was hoping he would keep his distance when it came to that. So far, he wasn’t very touchy or physically affectionate. She was at least grateful for that.

When her hair was expertly curled and partially pulled up and her makeup was flawless, she finally dressed in her dark blue gown she had picked out for today. It was the closest to the Lucian blue she could find in her closet and was pretty damn close. She refused to wear black no matter how much everyone urged her to. They told her there were many elegant black gowns in the city to buy but she just assured them it was a funeral color and she wished to not wear it.

When a knock sounded from her door, she assumed Ignis was here to pick her up and escort her to the royal event. However, as with every day this week she had expected him, he was not the one to walk through the threshold. Bernard, instead, stood in a tux smiling at her.

“You look beautiful Princess. Quite a sight indeed. Be careful the guests don’t mistake you for the bride today,” he complimented her.

“You’re too kind, Berny!” she forced a smile. “Too bad every other part of my appearance screams ‘definitely not the bride of the future king’,” she joked. She was not only referring to her dark dress, but also her features. Her hair color, accent, eye color, and mannerisms were dead giveaways that she was not from here. Not that Luna looked any more the part, however.

“Are you beginning to feel a bit of anticipation for your own wedding with all the hype today?” he asked her.

Y/N just glanced at him then down at her feet where her shoes were being presented and waiting for her feet to be placed into them. After a few moments of silence, Bernard spoke again.

“I see. Quite understandable. Well, shall we go?” he asked, holding out his elbow for her to take.

“Is…is Ignis not escorting me?” she asked, a bit surprised.

“I was instructed to bring you to the Ceremony Hall. I imagine that means he is not…”

“He’s probably with His Highness at the moment, Miss Y/N,” one of the servant girls spoke.

“Of course…” she answered silently. _Why wouldn’t he be?_

Y/N gently grabbed the extended arm and walked down the hallway to the elevator. Bernard wasn’t exactly sure where the hall they were to be at was, but once he got to the floor they needed, it wasn’t hard to figure it out. Elaborate signs and flowers led the way to the Ceremony Hall where a multitude of guests were seated. Rows of long cushioned pews lined both sides of the large room. The ceiling was steeped and what seemed to be three stories tall. Large glass chandeliers hung from large wooden beams. The smell of sylleblossms hung heavy in the air. They were tied to the ends of each pew and in large vases spread throughout the room. _Well, at least they hadn’t picked the same flower scheme_ , Y/N thought.

Bernard walked her to the front of the room where she was then instructed to sit in the second row. She fluffed her dress out around her and used the program she was given upon entering the room to fan herself a bit in the crowded and stuffy room. Bernard turned to leave, causing a bit of alarm in her.

“Are you not sitting with me?” she asked in slight panic.

“I apologize, Princess. I am not as high standing as you and must sit in the back.”

“The back??”

“I’m not even a citizen. I am merely invited as an escort for you. I will be fine, don’t fret.”

“But…” Y/N didn’t want to be left alone yet again. Not when one of the few people she trusted in this world right now was standing right beside her.

“I will see you once again at the reception, My Lady,” Bernard bowed and walked to the back of the room.

He seemed almost in a hurry to get back to his seat. Y/N was certain it wasn’t because the ceremony was starting soon. It wasn’t until she looked back at the front of the room and noticed Cor and Drautos both eyeing him, along with a few glaives positioned in a line in front of the elaborate lifted stage. They knew who he was and that he was completely harmless. Were they really making such a large deal of it all?

After a few long moments of sitting by herself, a large figure seated themselves in front of her. She soon realized it was the King himself. He wasn’t exactly, large per se, but the uniform and cape he wore made him seem so. A presence seated beside her and she looked to see it was the King’s shield, Clarus. He was another man she had no idea how to read. He was as menacing as a king’s shield should be, but also seemed to joke keep a light hearted tone about him from time to time. People here were so confusing.

“Good day Miss Y/N,” he greeted her.

“Hello,” she responded a bit more quietly than intended.

Regis turned around a bit in his seat so he could see her face.

“Greetings, Y/N! Lovely to see you again. Tell me, how are your own wedding plans coming?” the King asked her.

“Quite well, thank you,” she answered back.

“Amazing news! I have no doubt it will be nothing short of elegant and beautiful considering Ignis is your husband to be. The man has exquisite taste!”

Y/N resisted the urge to roll her eyes. So far, her “husband to be” had nothing to do with any of the decisions made. Speak of the devil himself…. A door in the back opened and out stepped Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, and finally Noctis. The four men lined up expertly in their positions, awaiting the bridesmaids to walk down the aisle.

A very young looking girl was the first to walk passed. She seemed maybe fourteen or fifteen and had very short brown hair. Next was a girl with black hair down to almost her waist. She looked no older than Noctis, but not as young as the first girl. The last two girls had blonde hair and looked similar to Lunafreya. Probably friends of hers from back in Tennebrae. The thought struck Y/N like lightening…was she expected to have bridesmaids? Who would even hold the positions? Were her friends from back home allowed to come? This was information she needed to know! And very soon. The sound of everyone standing brought her back to the present moment. She stood as well while Luna made her way down the aisle.

She was every bit beautiful and majestic. Y/N didn’t assume she would be anything but. The woman was almost perfect it seemed. Her hair was up in a high ponytail with a long veil tied around it, cascading down both her back and in front of her. A bouquet of sylleblossoms was held in her delicate hands. Everyone around her was beaming at her beauty. Was this what it would be like for her? Or would no one know who she even was to care enough? She doubted half these people would be at her own wedding.

The ceremony was long. With all the various rituals performed, she assumed it was because of it being a royal wedding. Surely the rest of the people in this land didn’t have elaborate and drawn out weddings like this. She thought on how much of it she would be required to do at her own wedding. Some of the oaths sworn and rituals surrounding the crowns presented to each of them wouldn’t have any part in her nuptials to Ignis. She wondered if the pledging to past Kings would be included. If the bowing to the various portraits and paintings would need to be done. The Remembering of Oracles past. The presenting of royal jewels. The pinning of Lucian Crests. The March of the Glaives. The reading of old scripture from a language, text, and realm she had never even heard of.

If she was being honest, she didn’t pay attention to half of what was going on after halfway through. She knew it would be a long ceremony, but this was bordering ridiculous. Sudden cheering pulled her attention from the landscape beyond the window she was staring out of. She looked to the stage to see the Prince and Oracle locked in a passionate kiss. She brought her hands together to clap along with everyone else and stand along with them as the couple finally pulled away.

“I now present to you all, to the Royal City of Insomnia, to the Land of Lucis, and to the world…His and Her Highness, Prince Noctis and Princess Lunafreya Lucis Caelum!”

Cheering continued on as the couple descended the stairs, followed by the wedding party and Cor and Drautos. Y/N sat back down, fanning herself again with the paper program in her hands, as people we escorted out of the room. As the King stood to leave, everyone bowed. Clarus rose to follow but the King simply spoke his name and looked at Y/N. An understanding seemed to pass as Clarus held out his arm to her.

“Allow me to escort you, Miss Y/N.”

“Oh!” she said a bit surprised. “Of course, thank you.”

She could see people in the room glancing at her in curiosity. Wondering who the woman was who sat nearest the King and was dressed far more elaborately than other guests. She heard the person walking behind them and turned to see Luna’s brother Ravus. She quickly turned back around. She was unaware he had journeyed here for the wedding. Many people back home swooned over him. Herself included sometimes. He was definitely more attractive in person than in the photos she had seen of him. Too bad she was officially off the market and not offered to him instead. She remembered even bringing him up to her mother when arguing over being sent to Lucis to marry Ignis.

At least she was finally leaving this room and could get a drink and something to eat.

* * *

Y/N sat at a table with Bernard and a few other people she didn’t even recognize. The King and his shield sat high up on a lifted stage, even above Noctis and Luna themselves. The second level down was of course the bride and groom with their own elaborately decorated table for all to see. The third level below them was the wedding party. A table set to the side of the bride and groom so as not to be in front of them at all. Cor and Drautos weren’t even seated and neither were any of the glaives in uniform. They were all at attention posted at various points around the room and rotating frequently.

Y/N could scream. She at least knew where Ignis was this time…too bad she was nowhere near him and had yet to even speak to him. It was beyond frustrating to see the man and not even make eye contact yet. Was he not even looking for her? To even catch a glimpse of her?

After a meal of fish and rare steak and nearly no vegetables, Y/N was ready for that stiff drink. Her meal wasn’t anything she hoped for or even liked. Neither were any of the appetizers. She wasn’t even going to hold out hope for the dessert. Unfortunately she had to sit through a long slow dance between the bride and groom before she could leave her table. Standing from her seat after the clapping had ended, Bernard stood with her.

“Would you like me to retrieve-“

“I got it!” she barked, not even turning to look at him. He knew when not to push a matter with her and this was one of those moments.

She walked up to the bar and ordered a dirty martini. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, causing her to not even notice the man who had just approached her.

“You look breathtaking as usual, Y/N,” a smooth, accented voice startled her from her thoughts.

She jumped a bit and looked at the man standing to her right.

“Oh?...How funny of you to notice!” she rolled her eyes, turning back to the bar.

Ignis stood a bit stunned for a moment, not quite sure of how to respond.

“Of course I did. How could anyone not notice you today? You are as radiant as ever.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she sighed, still refusing to look at him.

“I apologize, but did I anger you in some way Princess?” he asked, sounded completely innocent and unaware of why she was so mad.

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed, finally turning to him. “Not at all. You didn’t anger me one bit when you never showed up for any of our food tastings. Or the time you left me on my own in the city to pick out flowers. Or even the awkward rides with people I don’t even know. Not to mention all the times I was completely alone this week with multitudes of people I have never in my life met. Nope. Not angry AT ALL!”

She turned back to the bar to grab her drink and started walking away.

Ignis felt a wave of panic hit him as she started leaving. He quickly caught up to her to try and rectify the situation.

“I sincerely apologize, Y/N! It was not my intention to leave you on your own-“

“Then you would have showed up! Or hell, even answered your damn phone before one o’clock in the morning!” she scolded, as she continued to walk across the room.

“I was incredibly busy this week preparing for Noct’s wedding and-“

“And I was incredibly busy this week preparing for OURS!” she stopped, turning to face him now.

That left him speechless for a moment. He was so wrapped up in making sure every little detail was perfected for his best friend’s wedding that he completely neglected his own. He was wrong in assuming she would want to pick everything out on her own and be okay without him. She never showed much interest in doing many things with him so he only assumed the same would apply to wedding planning. He had no idea he was wrong.

“I made a terrible mistake, Princess. I assumed…well, I apparently assumed wrong. I should have rescheduled so I could be with you.”

“I had to leave the Citadel! I did that on my own!”

Ignis was a bit shocked.

“No one went with you??” he asked in disbelief.

“No, someone did! Someone has to, remember? They sent some random soldier guy with me. Luckily Bernard came too, or I wouldn’t have even went. You know how I get when I have to leave! This city is huge and honestly quite scary! And all I asked of you, ALL I ASKED, was for you to pick me up. Just simply come and at least pick me up…and you didn’t even do that!”

“Didn’t Cor-“

“Yes…Yes, COR came and got me. I asked for you. I just…” she paused a moment and looked at her feet. “I guess I just realized I can’t rely on you as I had hoped I could. Of all the people here, you are the only know who knows a damn thing about me and you should have known I hate being around people I don’t know. I just simply wanted a familiar face. Silly of me to assume that familiar face be my fucking fiancé!”

“Princess Y/N, I am truly terribly sorry!” Ignis began to almost plead with her. He was feeling awful right now. He was hoping to come over and greet Y/N and ask her to dance with him as she had the week prior. “Is there a way I can make it up to you now?”

The thought of personal favors brought up a point Y/N had thought about earlier.

“Was in because of what happened last week? In my room? Is that why you refused to be around me?” she asked.

Ignis felt his face heat up ever so slightly at the memory.

“No, of course not!” he assured her.

“Which reminds me!” she stated before opening the small wristlet hanging off of her left arm. She pulled out a purple handkerchief and thrust it into his chest. “You can have this back now. Don’t worry. I had it laundered.” She started walking off again, heading for the doorway.

Ignis knew his face was beat red at this point. He remembered what she used the handkerchief for after pulling it from his breast pocket. He had momentarily forgotten about it until this moment. He quickly pocketed the item and briskly walked to catch up with her.

“Princess, I-“

“I’m going to bed,” she said turning to him and handing her now empty glass to his chest the same way she did the handkerchief just now. “Give the couple my congrats, yeah?” She turned back around and continued to walk away. Ignis decided it best not to follow and possibly anger her more.

He had been looking forward to this night all week. They had such an enjoyable time together at the engagement dinner. She was so carefree and having fun. Her smile made his insides flutter every time he thought back on it. What happened when he brought her back to her room was enjoyable as well, he wouldn’t deny that. And he thought back on it more than a few times. But it didn’t compare to the hours prior he had spent laughing and smiling with her. Introducing her to his family and acquaintances as his future wife. It was something he only dared to let himself dream about once or twice prior. He refused to dream about something he may never get. But now that he was allowed to have that- to have a relationship and a woman to call his own- he wanted to embrace every moment of it.

But once again…he had gotten it wrong.

…

Y/N continued down the hallway. She should have went back and informed Bernard she was leaving. Or even said goodbye to Noctis and Luna herself. But she was too heated to properly approach any of them. She would message Bernard when she got back to her room.

The halls were completely empty and quiet. Almost dark, even. It was odd. With all the security she had seen today, she assumed the halls would be just as full with glaives. Suddenly a man appeared out of a door right in front of her. She almost ran into him.

“OH! I’m terribly sorry. Please excuse me,” she said, moving to make her way around him.

“I don’t believe I know your name…” the man stated, as he turned with her and grabbed her wrist.

Y/N frowned up at him. Why did he grab her like that?

“Not a lot of people do know it. I’m not surprised. Now please, let me go.”

“You look so familiar though…” he squinted at her.

“I’m sorry, do you work here or…are you a guest of the royal wedding?” she asked him.

“You could call me a guest…” he smirked.

Y/N was growing more confused and concerned at the same time. Something about this man wasn’t sitting right with her. She looked him over and grew even more leery. He had purple hair and a fedora hat on. His outfit was nothing she had seen before on anyone around here. Or even back home. It was…odd. He had a collar that looked like it was made of coffee filters and stripped tight pants. He looked more like the Citadel jester than anyone important.

“Please let me go-“

“I think I want to get to know you better actually…” he purred, putting his face really close to hers.

“Get away from me!” she yelled, turning her head away. Her wrist was beginning to burn from trying to tug out of his grip. It only seemed to tighten, bruising the skin below his fingers.

“Aww, unfortunately for you, everyone is busy partying down the hall. No one is here to help you. Or even hear you.”

“What do you want?” she asked him, feeling tears beginning to well up in her eyes as fear gripped her chest.

“I do see it now…the resemblance. You’re more like your mother than you care to admit.”

That comment made her want to smack the smirk clean off his face. She was nothing like her mother. But fear gripped her chest again when he stepped closer to her; their bodies flush against each other now. She couldn’t stop the tear that rolled down her cheek.

“Just let me go, please!” she pleaded. It was this moment she fully regretted yelling so harshly at Ignis, causing him to not want to follow her.

“I would have chosen Ravus for you, but I guess it wasn’t much my call.” Y/N’s eyes bulged at his comment. He knew more about her than he led her to believe. “Plus the boy is simply that…a boy. He’s not half the man he thinks he is.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about but I just want to go back to my room. Please! Let me go!”

“I want you to look at my face,” he replied, gripping her neck with his other hand and forcing her to look up at him. “And I want you to remember me, Princess Y/N of Accordo.”

Y/N’s heart stopped. He was the first person outside of the King, Noct, and his friends to openly know who she was. How did he know? Was it the articles? It had to have been…right?

“You said you didn’t know who I was…” she whispered out.

“I lied,” he growled in her face. “You’ll find I do that a lot.”

“What do you want?” she wept.

“Nothing…yet.” He smiled and let go of her, standing back. He glanced over her shoulder causing her to turn and look at who may be coming. There was no one and nothing there so she quickly turned back only to notice he was gone.

She frantically looked around, wondering where he could have went. Thinking he may finally be gone, she felt her adrenaline ease and the full force of her panic hit her veins.

She scrambled for the elevator and hurried into it, pushing the button over and over urging it to go faster. When she finally got to her floor, she rushed out into the hallway, her chest rising and falling rapidly with her still growing fear. There were a few people in the hallway, as there usually were. Workers were constantly around and unlike the halls she was just in, these ones were still brightly lit and carrying on as usual.

She tried her best to compose herself at their odd stares and walked briskly to her door. She felt at any moment he would return and grab her again. She glanced over her shoulder multiple times before making it to her door where she unlocked it in a hurry and threw it shut behind her.

She leaned her back against the door and sunk to the floor, hyperventilating and letting the tears freely flow down her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to have this posted last weekend but got tied up in stuff and didn't quite get it finished. I also prefer to post on weekends because anytime I have posted on a week day I get zero feedback and half as many hits. Sorry it took the whole weekend to edit. 
> 
> Another interesting development introduced. I was going to make the wedding a lot more elaborate and longer but i figured I would save the long details for her own wedding instead. the next month will go a bit quickly leading up to her and Ignis' wedding. But once that happens...that's when a lot more conflict unfortunately unfolds. I'm excited to get there though. You all know how much i love angst lol Hope you all are well and had a great holiday!


	17. Chapter 16

Ignis sat at his desk typing out yet another report Noctis failed to finish before his wedding. While he considered his job to be somewhat of a glorified secretary to the Prince, it still irked him slightly all the work he ended up doing for his friend.

He supposed his touchy attitude was also due to other stresses he currently had going on in his personal life. Now that Noct’s grand wedding was out of the way, it was time to plan his own. If he was being completely honest, a small part of him simply didn’t wish to. Not that he didn’t want to get married. He had spent the last month rigorously planning the royal wedding of the decade, and now had to immediately plan the second most important wedding in Insomnia, and technically the world. And with it being his own, he felt just as much pressure to make it as perfect for his bride to be as he did for his friend’s. Y/N had already spent a week picking a lot of things out, from the food to flowers. He regretted scheduling all those meetings the week prior to the Prince’s nuptials. He never dreamed he would be as busy as he was or lose track of time the way he did.

He still felt incredibly guilty for leaving her alone. She seemed so offended and hurt by his actions. He was looking forward to dancing with her again all week leading up to the royal affair. It was one of the only things pushing him through the long nights he spent double checking plans and making sure orders were coming in. It left him feeling quite defeated at the reception that she left so early. He couldn’t even admire her from afar. She simply wasn’t even there.

He wondered if perhaps that was the reason she wasn’t answering any of his text messages. He knew from experience that she was a bit touchy in the communications department. He still hadn’t learned when to back off and give her space and when to push to be there for her. She also hadn’t shown up to the last two appointments he had booked with the wedding planner. He ended up hiring someone to help with the load a bit. They still had final say in everything, but she was there simply to make sure it all went smoothly so he didn’t burn himself out. He hadn’t heard from Y/N in a few days.

Ignis took off his glasses and rubbed a hand down his face, pulling himself out of his head and trying to get back to the work he had piled in front of him. In that moment, Gladio walked through his office door.

“Hey Iggy. How’s it going?” Gladio asked as he plopped down hard in one of the leather chairs across from Ignis’ desk.

“Good morning Gladio. Busy as usual. How are you?” he continued typing.

“Bored as hell. Noct is still ‘on his honey moon’ in his quarters. I ain’t standing around the hallway outside his door all damn day. That’s what the Glaives and Crownsguard are for-“

“You _are_ Crownsguard, Gladio,” Ignis interrupted.

“Okay, smartass, but I’m his shield and supposed to be around him all day everywhere he goes and I ain’t standing around a hallway like a standard soldier. I’m…” Gladio tried searching for the best way to phrase what he was trying to say.

“Above them?” Ignis cocked a disapproving eyebrow at him.

“I mean…if you want to get technical…yes!” Gladio answered honestly.

Ignis just rolled his eyes and continued typing.

“Why do you have so much damn paperwork on your desk?” Gladio asked, scrunching his nose.

“Well, considering I fell a bit behind the last couple weeks and Noctis is on his honey moon-“

“If that’s what you call locking yourself in your room for a week. I mean, I get that he can’t just leave the country right now with everything going on. But, at least send him to Galden Quay or something. We all know what’s going on behind those doors,” Gladio snickered.

“He cannot leave the protection of the wall right now. Tensions are high,” Ignis answered, ignoring what Gladio was implying.

“But why? Isn’t that what these weddings are supposed to solve? “

“I’m getting an odd suspicion it’s not that simple anymore…” Ignis quietly responded.

“Why? What do you know?” Gladio asked, suddenly a bit concerned.

“I don’t know anything,” Ignis sat up straighter, adjusting his glasses just to do something with his hands. “I just feel an unease as I speak with the council and the King. It feels…like something is weighing heavy on King Regis. More so than usual.”

“His only kid just got married and his health seems to be getting worse quicker. It could be anything.”

“Yes…it could. Forget I mentioned it.”

Ignis sat typing on his computer for a few minutes. Gladio just sat in his chair looking around the room for something to keep him busy. He didn’t want to bother Ignis, but he was so bored and needed something to occupy his time for a moment other than work.

“Sooooo….how’s things?” Gladio asked.

Ignis paused a moment and cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

“You asked me that when you came in. I’ve just been busy as usual, between my duties and wedding planning.”

“No, I mean how _are things_. With the fiancé. Haven’t heard you mention her in a few days. In fact I haven’t heard much from or about her at all the last couple days.”

“Yes, well, that makes two of us.”

“Man, what now?” Gladio rolled his eyes sighing. “Does it have anything to do with that fight you two obviously had at Noct’s wedding?”

“What makes you think we had an argument?” Ignis asked.

“Well, considering you were smiling like a goon the whole wedding and then looked depressed out of your mind the whole reception. You also weren’t seen with her but for two minutes, where I gotta say she didn’t look happy to be talking to you. And she wasn’t seen again after that. Tell me you guys didn’t have an argument,” Gladio raised an eyebrow challenging his friend to prove him wrong.

“Yes, you’re right,” Ignis sighed, sitting back in his chair.

“Why does she always-“

“It was completely my fault, Gladio.”

“You always say that-“

“No, I don’t. I did one other time and it was because my actions had hurt her. And it was the same thing this time. She wasn’t picking a fight or being touchy. I had hurt her with my actions. Or lack thereof, more like it. She wasn’t just mad, she was upset.”

“So, what did you do? Or not do or whatever?”

“I was so busy finalizing everything on Noct’s wedding that I neglected my own nuptial planning I had scheduled with her. I left her alone to pick out food and flowers and didn’t even respond to her messages until well into the night. And the biggest flub of all is I left her in the city by herself.”

“I thought she wasn’t supposed to leave the Citadel by herself?”

“She’s not. She was accompanied by a glaive. And I sent The Marshal to retrieve her instead of myself.”

“Ig…I know you love Noct like a brother and all, hell we all love him in a way. But you baby the living hell out of him. And you break down entirely too easy with him and do too much for him. You gotta let the guy do some shit for himself.”

“I wasn’t about to let his wedding fall apart. It was one of the biggest world events. It had to be precisely perfect.”

“Okay I get that to an extent, but you gotta cut the umbilical cord sometime, dude! He probably assumed you would just take the reins and do everything because you always do. You could have made him sit down with you and tie up the loose ends. It didn’t have to be just you. It doesn’t always have to be just you all the time doing everything. And look at where it’s getting you! It’s ruining your own relationship. There has to be a bit of a shift in your priorities now, Iggy!”

“She can never be my top priority,” Ignis almost whispered sadly. “The Marshal told me himself. Noctis is always first.”

“And I get that, when it comes to his damn life and it’s really unfortunate for Y/N, but there still has to be a shift somewhere. He doesn’t have to come first when he’s being a lazy self-entitled piece of shit. He doesn’t come first when his place is messy and needs cleaned. He doesn’t come first when he’s dumping his work load on you because he simply doesn’t want to do it. And if there’s a gun pointed at Noct’s head and Y/N’s, yes you’re expected to jump in front of him instead of her. But if I’m there, that’s my job and I got it covered. You can still make her a priority, too. You just have to know when those moments are and take advantage of them. “

“I never thought I would hear you defend her so strongly…” Ignis was almost a bit taken aback.

“I told you. I’m calling a truce. No sense in always fighting because of her. She’s not a bad person, just a moody one.” Gladio shrugged.

Ignis was quite surprised by his friend’s admission. Of all three of his friends, he figured Gladio would take the longest to accept her. Their relationship still seemed rocky and would probably always have its bumps given Gladio’s personality and hers.

“I’m very glad to hear that,” Ignis told him.

“So you really haven’t heard from her at all?”

“No, unfortunately. She hasn’t answered any of my text messages and all of my calls go straight to voicemail.”

“Did you try calling her from another phone? One she wouldn’t recognize?”

“Do you think she would answer an unknown number?”

“I mean, it’s worth a shot…right?”

Ignis looked at the phone on the corner of his desk. He didn’t use it often except to speak with staff in various quarters of the Citadel. And most people just got ahold of him on his cellphone, never knowing where he was most of the day. He pulled Y/N’s number up on his cell phone and dialed it into the land line on his desk, but it wasn’t a moment later he was hanging back up again.

“Same thing,” he shook his head. “Straight to voicemail.”

“Seriously? Maybe she knows your office line, let me try…” Gladio reached across the desk and grabbed Ignis’ phone. Dialing the phone number into his own cell phone, he raised it to his ear. But once again, it only took a short moment for him to hang up. “No ringing or anything. Her phone has to be off. Does she have a room phone?”

“Not that I am aware of. The room she is staying in isn’t meant for permanent stay. It’s a guest room, she doesn’t have many amenities.”

“How does she stay in there so much then? Isn’t that boring? Does she have TV or anything?”

“I don’t recall a television in her room when I was in there. I didn’t look around much, but quite certain she didn’t have one,” Ignis responded, rubbing his hand along his chin, suddenly a bit worried that she may be ill.

“You’re worried now. I can see it on your face. Want me to go to her room? Or send Cor or something? She doesn’t answer for him, and he’s allowed by law to unlock her door and open it himself.”

“I do not wish to barge in her room. That would only upset her further. I just hope she hasn’t fallen ill and perhaps forgot to charge her phone and is too weak to answer the door. She could need medical assistance and we wouldn’t know it.”

“Then like I said, send Cor down there or something. What about her butler or whatever the hell he is. Did we ever find out, by the way? Like what the hell is his purpose?”

“Y/N explained to me he has been with her since she was young. I think he’s more a security blanket and a way of her mother assuring she isn’t mistreated. Possibly a way for him to send her information, but he’s not present with Y/N enough for me to expect him to be a mole.”

“Yeah, he’s kind of just a dweeb in a suit.”

“Gladio!” Ignis scolded. While he may not have liked him much himself, he wasn’t for name calling of Y/N’s most trusted companions.

“What? My father’s words, not mine!” Gladio held up his hands. “Either way, have you spoken to him?”

“No…I didn’t think of that actually.”

“Do you have his number by any chance? I mean, if he’s supposed to be looking after her, I would think he talks to her at least every day.”

“That’s a very good thought, Gladio. I’ll have to get in touch with him.”

Ignis was now thankful for his friend’s interruption of his work. Y/N’s silence was beginning to worry him and he now had a new plan to try and figure out why she had been so absent lately.

* * *

Ignis was walking from the parking garage to the Citadel the next morning. He was going to return a book to the library before heading into his office, but first wanted a cup of ebony from the coffee shop. With Noctis being in his room all week, he wasn’t dining in the Great Hall with King Regis. He knew he was welcome there regardless of if Noct was present or not, but it still felt wrong of him to be there without the Prince he served. He still stood outside the door the first few moments of each meal, just in case Y/N stopped in to eat. He still remembered how much she disliked eating there alone. While she wasn’t truly alone, there was always at least the King and Clarus, a small part of him beamed at the fact that she specifically wanted him there with her to not feel alone. Gladio also mentioned she was there for breakfast a week ago and seemed to be looking for him. He now knew that’s exactly what she was doing that day. He was unreachable by phone so she sought him out in person. Even going so far as to go to the coffee shop with Prompto. He really hoped he hadn’t hurt her too badly with his poor choices. The fact that she wasn’t even showing up now to their scheduled wedding planning meetings was worrisome.

As he waited at the end of the counter for his coffee order, he noticed Bernard walking up to the counter to put in his own order. Ignis quickly glanced around to see if Y/N was nearby. After scanning the few faces seated and walking around the area, his shoulders slouched a bit at not finding her. He decided this was his moment to ask about her like Gladio suggested yesterday. As Bernard made his way down to the order pick up end of the counter, Ignis approached him.

“Good morning, Mr. Fournier,” Ignis greeted. It took him a moment to remember the man’s last name. Y/N only ever referred to him as “Bernie”.

“Ah! Pleasant morning to you, Mr. Sciencia!” Bernard greeted back cheerfully. “How have you been?”

“Quite busy, thank you.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second!” Bernard chuckled. “It’s rare I even see you around!”

Ignis knew the man didn’t mean what he said offensively, but Ignis couldn’t help but flinch a bit. If this man didn’t see him around often, that meant his own fiancé didn’t either. He suddenly felt a bit foolish and humiliated to ask the question he was about to ask, but he knew Bernard was his best bet at finding out about Y/N.

“Yes well, there’s a lot to plan right now. Um, speaking of which,” Ignis internally flinched again. He hated that he let the word um slip past his lips. It gave away his uncertainty. “Have you heard from Y/N as of late?” He purposely didn’t attach a time frame to his question. He wasn’t about to let the man know just how long it had been since he had spoken to his future wife.

“I haven’t actually.” A look of worry passed over Bernard’s face as his shoulders slumped a bit. “I’ve tried calling and visiting her the past few days with no answer. I’ve been worried ever since she left the wedding in a rush to get back to her room. I wasn’t even aware she had left until well after the fact.

Ignis felt his heart sink a little more. He was the reason behind her abrupt departure. He wasn’t about to admit that to the man before him, however.

“You haven’t seen or heard from her at all?”

“I haven’t. Have you? I was actually getting close to coming to you to see if you have. It’s not uncommon for Y/N to throw a fit and close herself off from others, but she’s never done so entirely. She usually always still leaves a line of communication open with someone. And that someone is usually me. I only hope I haven’t offended her in some way.”

“I’m sure you haven’t,” Ignis assured him. It was then that Ignis’ ebony order was done and handed to him. He now had a new destination instead of his office this morning. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Fournier. Have a pleasant day! And do let me know if you hear from Y/N.”

“I will. Have a find day, yourself!”

Ignis quickly took the book in his hands to the library but refrained from finding another. He hoped to speak with Cor before the man headed down to the Dining Hall with the King for breakfast, and he didn’t wish to speak his concerns in front of everyone who may ask questions. As he got closer to The Marshal’s door and saw it was open, he realized he made it on time. Apparently just on time. The two men almost collided as Ignis went to walk through the threshold. Cor took a quick step backwards, surprised.

“Apologies Marshal!” Ignis held a hand up and bowed his head quickly as a show of respect. “I wondered if I could speak with you quickly about an important matter.”

“If it can’t wait until later, speak quickly,” Cor answered him.

“It’s about Y/N. I haven’t heard from her in over a week. No one has.”

Cor’s eyes widened a bit and his browns pulled together.

“Have you spoken with Bernard Fournier?”

“I just did. He hasn’t heard from her either.”

“A week is too long. You should have spoken to me sooner,” Cor scolded as he quickly made his way over to his desk and turned his computer monitor on, waking up his computer.

“Apologies. I simply assumed…” He paused a moment.

“Assumed what?” Cor pushed.

“We had a disagreement. I assumed she was only ignoring me.”

“I see. What was the disagreement about?”

“I…I neglected important time promised to her. I was busy helping Noctis with his wedding plans and failed to assist in planning my own. She was upset with me.”

“Explains why she was so upset when I picked her up from the flower shop.”

“Yes. Thank you again for that. She was quite distraught over my absence.”

Cor typed a few things on his computer before looking back at Ignis.

“So you’ve called and messaged her with no answer, yes?”

“Yes. Her phone goes straight to voicemail. Gladio tried calling her as well to see if she simply blocked my calls but he got the same thing.”

Cor brought her number up on the computer and lifted his office phone to try himself. It didn’t take him long to hang up, as he got the same thing the other men had gotten. Immediate voicemail.

“You’ve gone to her room yourself?”

“I have. Mr. Fournier also mentioned calling her and trying her room as well. No one has gotten an answer.”

Cor typed some more on his computer, frown still in place, before dialing another number he read off the screen in front of him. It took only a couple rings before the person on the other line answered.

“Mr. Fournier, it’s Cor Leonis….I’m fine. I have a few questions. When was the last time you spoke with Princess Y/N?......When was the last time you saw her in person?.....Have you heard anything from or about her from anyone other than herself?......He’s speaking with me right now, thank you. I encourage you in the future to inform me after twenty-four hours of no contact…..Thank you for your time.” Cor hung up the phone and went back to typing and clicking around on his computer. “The same goes for you Sciencia. No more than twenty-four hours. A week of no contact, she could be across the globe by now or picked off by a glaive guarding the wall for all we know.”

Ignis felt his stomach sink as his eyes widened. He never thought she might try to escape. She would surely disguise herself and if she was shot as a trespasser, no one would think twice.

“Do they not…report trespassers, sir? Specifically ones they…disposed of?”

“There’s a no questions order in place when it comes to wall hoppers.”

“But if she was going out of the city…that’s not the same as trespassing in,” Ignis tried reasoning. Why would they shoot someone simply leaving?

“She could be someone escaping with stolen documents or sneaking back out. What other reason does someone have to hop the wall unless they are hiding something?”

Ignis swallowed hard and began to twist his hands together the way he did when he was nervous. If his actions resulted in her unnecessary death, he could never forgive himself. But he didn’t think she would actually leave over their argument.

“I don’t think she left, sir. I mean, we had a fight and she was really upset…but I don’t see her leaving over it-“

“She didn’t.” Cor interrupted.

“She…what?”

“Either she didn’t or she left her phone behind. Which, honestly, would be the smart thing to do.”

“How do you…”

“I pinged her phone. Even with it off, unless the battery was pulled I can remotely turn it on and locate it. She will receive a message, however, saying her phone is on and being located. So she now knows we’re on to her. I’ll head to room.” Cor dialed a number on his cell phone. “Monica, meet me at Y/N’s room immediately.” He hung up and looked at Ignis before walking passed him. “I’ll call you if I find anything out.”

“Thank you sir!” Ignis watched him quickly walk down the hallway to the elevators. Ignis was tempted to follow but knew Cor implied that he not follow him. He trusted Cor to find her. He only hoped the man wouldn’t scare her away further.

* * *

Y/N lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling. She managed a warm bath today, which was more than she had done the last…how many days now? She had quickly lost track. She turned her phone off the day after the wedding. Every time it beeped or vibrated or rang, she jumped out of her skin.

She didn’t dare leave her room either. She didn’t want to risk running into…him again. She figured she could ask Bernie or someone else to accompany her. But the very halls of the Citadel themselves frightened her now. Every time she glanced down them, the walls seemed to close in on her. Her breath caught in her throat and she slammed the door shut again. She gave up trying to leave on day two. She ordered food be brought to her room only once a day and they had to leave it at the door and walk away. She didn’t want to see anyone. Everyone’s face seemed to morph into his.

It was just like in her dreams. The man who attacked her in the hallway never seemed to leave her alone. He followed her into sleep every night. Every person she talked to in her dreams went from pleasantly smiling at her to suddenly sneering and grabbing her throat. Every dark corner she turned, he was standing on the other side. At this point she wasn’t sure if it was her scared mind playing tricks on her in her sleep or if the man was actually capable to being in her dreams.

It all reminded her of a very traumatic experience as a small child. The very reason Bernard became her bodyguard.

Y/N knew she was a mess. She barely ate. She only bathed once in the last week. And she rarely slept. Any sleep she did get was rudely interrupted. She had heard a few people come to her door and knock. She couldn’t answer, though. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this. Not to mention, she always feared it was him. Even hearing voices of others she knew on the other side of the door made her skeptical. It brought her back to her dreams of friends morphing into his face. She knew people were getting desperate to hear from her when Gladio showed up at her door yesterday. He tried calling through the door to her, which is how she knew it was him. He told her to call Ignis, saying he was worried about her. She felt bad to worry people. But maybe they should worry. She was definitely not okay. But how could anyone help? She couldn’t tell anyone about him. Something told her they either wouldn’t believe her or that it would make the horrible man somehow retaliate against her. He didn’t threaten her not to speak of him…but the threat still felt implied.

She hadn’t even brought herself to talk to LeAnn this week. She spoke to her friend almost every day and knew she was probably worried. She wasn’t even sure what she would talk about. She had been locked in her room for days doing nothing. She wrote a bit. At least she was accomplishing that. But even her wedding plans weren’t on her mind. Nothing was. Except him.

Her phone suddenly lit up beside her and let out a strange beeping noise. How was her phone turning on? She had shut it off completely last week and hadn’t plugged it in. Apparently the battery still held life in it. But how did it turn on? Did he do it? Was he somehow now hacking into her phone? She glanced at the screen and her breath caught in her throat.

**THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN TRACED. LEAVING YOUR LOCATION OR DEACTIVATING YOUR DEVICE WILL RESULT IN YOUR ARREST.**

No. No no no no! He was tracing her phone. He was coming after her again. Y/N ripped the backing off her phone and immediately pulled the battery from the back. She stood from the bed and paced her room. Was he coming here? Did her phone already send back a signal of where she was? This wasn’t happening! What should she do? Should she call Bernard to come over? Should she go to his room instead? Should she call Ignis? She was afraid to use her phone at all.

She paced her room back and forth for about ten minutes panicking over what she should do. Before she could make up her mind, though, a loud pounding sounded from her door causing her to almost scream in fright.

“Princess Y/N, open the door. It’s Cor Leonis.”

It was Cor. Or was it? If it was him, why was he here? Maybe he could help her. Maybe he would know what to do. Would he even believe her?

“Princess Y/N I command you open the door or I will be forced to open it myself. We traced your phone and know you’re in there.”

She stood still in fright, still unsure of what to do. Even his threats couldn’t bring her to actually open the door. It was them who traced her phone? Not him?

“Princess Y/N, this is Monica,” a female voice said, accompanied by lighter knocking. “We need you to please answer the door. If you are uncomfortable with The Marshal, let me know and I will come in instead. But you have to open the door.”

Cor had brought Monica with him in case a female presence was needed instead of his. He knew some females weren’t comfortable with a strong male presence. And it was probably a good thing he did. A moment later, the door slowly opened a crack. Y/N carefully peaked her face around the door she was hiding behind, with an uncertain look on her face. Her bloodshot eyes and dark circles took the pair back a bit. Her pale skin and messy hair only added to their concern.

“Miss Y/N, thank you for opening the door. Are you okay?” Monica asked her. Cor assumed it was her that coaxed Y/N to open the door so he let her take the reins for a bit.

“…yeah,” Y/N hesitated. “Why?”

“We were worried about you. No one has heard from you in a while and you can understand our concern. Even the kitchen mentioned you hadn’t ordered food yesterday or today.”

Cor and Monica made a few calls around on their way to her room. Calling anyone they could think of who may have had contact with her or her room the past week.

“I um…I haven’t been feeling well,” Y/N’s unused voice croaked out.

“Do you need medical assistance? We have an in house physician who can see you. You can go to the medical wing or he can come to your room if you wish.”

“No!” she exclaimed, eyes widening a bit. “No, I…I just…I’ll be fine.”

“Miss Y/N…” Monica started slowly. “Do you need to speak with me privately about anything? I can come in or Mr. Leonis can step down the hall a bit if you wish.”

“No no! I’m fine, really. Just…haven’t been well.”

She wasn’t entirely lying. She hadn’t been well…mentally.

“Please keep communication open in the future,” Cor spoke up. “Tell Mr. Fournier or Ignis you are unwell. They are both worried. And we only assume the worst when your phone is off. Keep it on in the future. Deactivating it sends the wrong message and goes against your contract.”

The look in Y/N’s eyes at mention of the contract was enough to let both people at her door know she was getting upset.

“It’s not to keep you prisoner,” Monica spoke up. “It is simply a matter of your safety and well-being.”

“I get it,” Y/N whispered.

“If you are still unwell by Monday, please let me know. You are to start training again with Gladio next week. And if you are still sick, I’ll put in a request with Medical to see you. Understood?”

“Yeah. I’m sure I’ll be fine by then.”

“Thank you. I’ll inform Ignis of your condition. Get ahold of me or him if your condition worsens.”

“Sure.”

Cor nodded at her and started down the hallway. Monica lightly smiled at her before following him.

Y/N closed the door behind her.

She wasn’t sure what she felt. Relief that it truly was Cor at her door. A bit of anger at mention that she had to keep her phone on. Nervous about training with Gladio again. Sadness at making everyone worry. But also a bit of something she couldn’t put her finger on. People were worried about her? To the point of tracking her down?

She decided to put the battery back in her phone and turn it back on as commanded. She plugged it in as well, not sure of how much battery life was left. When it fully booted back up, the tracking message was no longer active on it. She also saw just how worried some people were about her. She had over one hundred text messages and about thirty missed calls. Some were from numbers she didn’t recognize. The number sequence at the beginning of the phone number told her they were Insomnia numbers. And two of them had codes specifically assigned to Citadel phones. But she still had no idea who they belonged to.

More than half of her missed texts were from LeAnn. A couple were even from some of her friends back home she hadn’t heard from since moving here. Ignis left her many messages. All expressing his concern and apologizing for upsetting her. He text and called her every day it seemed. One text was from one of the unknown numbers that had called her. She knew now that number belonged to Gladio.

**_You better get your head out of your ass and call Ignis. You have the guy worrying himself over you and it’s pissing me off. At least let him know you didn’t die because I think he’s starting to think that._ **

A small ping of guilt hit her.

* * *

Ignis was sitting at his desk in his office lost in thought for the tenth time since he sat down. He was getting next to nothing done after his visit with Cor. It was supposed to make him feel better, not worse. All he could think about was Cor mentioning her trying to leave and being shot dead by the glaives guarding the wall. Would they remove her body and dump it in some grave? Or the lake? Or would they leave her there to just rot away? He wasn’t familiar with trespasser protocol. His job was simply to get to the Prince and protect him at all cost. Everything else was left up to others and not to be questioned.

A slight tremor went through his hands as he took a shaky breath. He kept telling himself nothing that extreme had happened to her. It was simply worst case scenario.

Before he could get back to work, his cell phone rang. Seeing Cor’s name, Ignis’ heart stopped a moment before he quickly answered.

“Marshal…”

_“Found her. She was in her room. She said she hasn’t been feeling well and honestly didn’t look well either. I told her if she wasn’t better by Monday to get ahold of you or me and make an appointment with Medical.”_

“Absolutely. Should we make her an appointment now? She’s been sick almost a week.”

_“She declined. That’s why I gave her until Monday.”_

“Understood,” Ignis responded. “And thank you sir. I appreciate it.”

_“Don’t wait that long to get ahold of me again. Understood?”_

“Yes, sir, of course.”

“ _Good,”_ Cor said before hanging up.

Ignis sunk back in his chair. She was safe. She was okay. She was sick, so much so that Cor said she even looked unwell. But she wasn’t dead with a bullet in her chest. She wasn’t simply avoiding him in anger. She hadn’t tried to leave because of him. The wave of relief that washed over Ignis almost made him feel dizzy.

He picked his phone back up and sent a text to Gladio.

** Ignis: ** **Cor found Y/N. She was in her room and is sick.**

** Gladio: ** **Well at least they found her and figured out wtf was going on. He send her to the medical wing?**

** Ignis: ** **He said she refused to be seen but she’s to go if she is still sick by Monday.**

** Gladio: ** **She’s supposed to train with me again starting Monday. If you don’t see her by then I’ll let ya know how she is.**

** Ignis: ** **I appreciate it. Thank you.**

Ignis’ phone beeped again and he assumed Gladio text him back, but was surprised to see the name beside the message.

** Y/N: ** **Sorry**

Ignis looked at her message for a long minute. It was one word but he still appreciated it and felt a warmth go through him at hearing directly from her once again.

** Ignis: ** **I heard you are unwell. Do you need me to get you any kind of medications? I can make soup or hot tea and bring to you if you wish.**

It took a moment for her to respond, but he was so glad she did. Even if just to know she was willing to speak to him again.

** Y/N: ** **No thanks. I’ll be fine.**

** Ignis: ** **Please let me know if you need anything. I will gladly pick anything up for you or have anything brought to your room if you need it.**

** Y/N: ** **Thanks**

Ignis smiled at his phone. She was short but her condition made it understandable. Whether Cor told her to get ahold of him or not, he was glad to hear from her. With his mind finally clearing and his nerves not so shot, he got back to work on his computer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea almost 2 months passed wince I last posted. I'm so sorry. I kinda got caught up in my own personal life crap. Or I've been too busy reading instead of writing. 
> 
> As usual, this chapter was suppose to carry on further but now that part got moved to the next chapter instead. Meaning the chapter will come sooner rather than later because half of it is written already lol
> 
> Thanks again so much to everyone for the comments and continued kudos I get on this story. I never imagined so many people would read this when I first started writing it. You all make me smile on my sad days. It's always when I'm having a crap time that I check my email and see a comment left by someone. And even the smallest ones make my day!


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